


Greedy

by Louis_0091



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Adult Content, Adult Language, Bank Company, CEO, CEO Louis Tomlinson, Daddy Kink, Daddy Louis, F/M, Housekeeper, Luxury, Luxury Lifestyle, Money, Multibillionaire, Rags to Riches, Rich - Freeform, Romance, Straight Louis, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy Louis Tomlinson, age gap, mature - Freeform, wattpad original
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:26:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 58,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louis_0091/pseuds/Louis_0091
Summary: Madison Quinn is a twenty-one year old who moves to Manhattan, New York, employed as a Personal Penthouse maid. She takes up the offer to clean a penthouse on 56 Leonard Street in TriBeCa, lower Manhattan, New York, that is all around luxurious enough for the man whom lives within its opulent walls, Louis Tomlinson, a thirty-three year-old multi-billionaire of LT Bank, his striking blue eyes causing every ounce of her body to swoon. The same eyes lure her in to undergo a life she never thought she would experience.
Relationships: Louis Tomlinson/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it says Chapter 1 but it’s actually just the prologue, soo... the number of chapters will be off by 1. Oh well!

  
  
PROLOGUE

**Madison  
** _Monday, June 30th_

I groaned internally when I walked into the master bathroom to find that it was an absolute disaster. A disaster that I am dreading to clean up. There were white towels that were just left on the floor in a heap, shoved into a corner, a box of bobby pins that I assumed had fallen off the counter and spilled all over the floor, old razors sitting on the side of the porcelain tub and on the counter next to the sink, hair accessories scattered all over the counter, and urine left in the toilet.

That is beyond disgusting, and the smell is horrid! Lucky me, I have to walk by the toilet to get to the towels.

I took a deep breath before rushing over to the towels. I almost gagged when I passed by the toilet to gather them, the thick aroma from the toilet hitting my nostrils.

I think it's been sitting there since early this morning.

It's past noon now.

Just thinking about that made me want to vomit because why is it so hard to flush? Literally, pee and flush. That's it. Kind of gets me thinking how this family owns a successful company when they can't even flush their own piss.

Rolling my eyes, I used my foot to quickly flush the toilet, relieving the poor bathroom of the godawful stench. I carried the pile of used towels out of the bathroom and over to where I had an empty basket sitting on the carpeted floor of the master bedroom, dumping them in.

I'll wash the towels after I clean the bathroom.

I wandered back into the bathroom, looking around for another place to start cleaning up. I opened the shower door and started to arrange the many soaps that was scattered around, but when I moved a Head and Shoulders bottle to place it in the soap rack, I was met with a clump of hair balled up behind it that I almost had mistaken as a brown mouse.

"I need a new job. I don't get paid enough for this shit," I grumbled to myself as I pinched the wet ball of hair with my gloved fingers and threw it in the trash. I gagged when I heard the hair drop into the trashcan with a 'splat'.

"Yep, that's it. I'm taking a break."

I forced the plastic gloves from off my hands and tossed them in the trash to join the hair before walking out of the bathroom.

I need to look for another job while I eat my lunch. I am honestly tired of being paid the lowest minimum wage to clean up such a revolting home of a family who is afraid to even clean up after themselves. It's honestly so depressing. It's sad when the children's room looks cleaner than the adults room.

I made my way down the stairs and into the kitchen where I opened the refrigerator, grabbing my bagged lunch off the top shelf. I brought a simple lunch, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a sandwich bag full of veggie straw chips. I also brought a few water bottles with me to drink.

After I sat down at the glass dining table I had just cleaned an hour ago with a bottle of Windex, I pulled my phone out to see a few Twitter and Instagram notifications displayed on the lock screen.

Okay, job hunting time!

I unlocked my phone and clicked on the safari app at the bottom of the screen, bringing me to a previous search from yesterday of Malamute puppies.

My brother, Aiden, didn't believe that my uncle Ricky's new puppy is a Malamute.

Oh my goodness, this one has a scrunchy face! He looks so-

_Job_ hunting, Madison. Not puppy hunting.

I typed in a site that my dad suggested I try since it's suppose to share my resume with different places and companies and send me job offers. Apparently it's super easy to use because my cousin, Jenna, got a secretary job with a wealthy company. I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot, really.

The site's screen loaded up and it asked me to type in my personal info and attach my resume, which I gladly did, having saved my resume in the word document app on my phone.

Once I clicked 'submit' at the bottom of the site, it came up with a blue loading screen that said 'your resume is under review'. I ate my sandwich while I waited for about five minutes before the screen blanked out to a different one that began to fill with several job offers. I was baffled by how fast it took.

I scrolled through the different offers to find a lot of them that were uninteresting. I even refreshed the page only to have more boring offers to load in.

I sighed, brushing a couple of loose strands of hair back that had fallen out of my bun.

I really need a great job. I need one that is going to finally help me get somewhere in this world. I mean, when you're low on money to the point where you struggle to feed yourself and pay off bills such as credit cards, a car, and an apartment, it's scary. I have to watch what I buy all the time. It's either one or the other, 'do you really need this' or 'it's not worth it'. It makes life a bit more complicated than it really has to be.

Scrolling though the offers some more, my eye caught a job offer that looked to be promising. It's still housekeeping but for a penthouse.

_'Personal Penthouse Maid: 56 Leonard Street, Unit PH54, TriBeCa, Manhattan, New York, 10013.'_

I clicked on the offer and read through.

_'Personal Penthouse maid needed for cleaning and maintaining a 5,492 square foot penthouse, 9 rooms, 4 beds, and 4.5 baths.'_

Holy moly, that's a lot of penthouse to clean.

I scrolled through some more looking for how much they're willing to pay for such services, and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw the price.

Fifty dollars _an hour_!? Holy shit!

Sign me the fuck up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	2. Chapter One

**Madison  
** _Tuesday, July 15th_

"Madi, hun!" I heard my dad call from the living room of my new apartment as I placed a box of toiletries on my bathroom counter.

"Yeah, dad?" I answered, leaving the bathroom to find him standing in the middle of the living room holding a large box.

"Where do you want me to put this? I think it's a bunch of cleaning supplies," he said, trying to balance the box in one hand to lift one of the tabs to check what was inside.

"Oh, you can just set that anywhere, really," I said.

My mom walked through the door holding a box that contained a lamp for the living room, some coasters, picture frames, and a few Knick knacks. "I assume this goes in the living room?" She asked.

"Yep!"

"Well, I think that was the last box, wasn't it, Caren?" Dad asked my mom.

"Yeah, but I have some groceries still in the trunk of the car so she can actually eat food," mom said, placing the box down next to the couch that my brother helped my dad bring up here.

"So, Madi is going to be living on her own now, huh?" I heard my brother, Aiden, say as he walked in with a few bags of groceries from the trunk of the car. "Hopefully you don't get mugged as soon as you set foot outside of this apartment by yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, thanks, Aiden."

"It's what brother's do," he said, a proud grin on his face while he placed the groceries down on the kitchen counter. "But I mean, let's be real. We had to lock the car every time we came up here even though it would take a couple seconds just to get back to the car to grab more stuff."

"It's New York, Aiden. It's definitely something I have to get use to." I walked over to the kitchen and started to unbag everything, putting some stuff in the refrigerator and the pantry.

"Well, make sure you stay safe around here, okay?" Mom told me. "I don't need a call from the hospital saying that my daughter just got stabbed in front of her apartment complex while I'm miles away in Miami, Florida."

My dad shook his head at my mom and brother. "I think you two are overreacting just a tad bit. Madison's going to be fine. Anyway, this is good for her because she doesn't have to waste so much gas money trying to get places. She can just walk, really. This'll do her some good."

"See! Dad knows what he's talking about," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "You two are just making a big stink out of it because you're going to miss me in Miami while I'm living the city life."

"Living the city life?" Aiden snorted. "You're a maid, Madi."

"Aiden!" Mom scolded him. "Be respectful to your sister."

I glowered at my irrelevant brother, rolling my eyes when he smirked. He is so mean to me.

"But I believe your father is right. This will be really good for you and I'm proud. Just have to be a bit more observant in these parts," she said, giving me a gentle smile.

"I will, mom. I don't have to go far, anyway. The penthouse I'm planning to get the job at is literally a few minutes from here," I said, walking over to the other side of the room to look out the window.

The streets were busy below, taxi's and a mix of other cars driving by and people rushing across the crosswalks to get to the other side of the road. There were a lot of men and women dressed in business attire, and taxi's dropped off some people as they were stopped at their destination. I also noticed a woman that rushed into a taxi. I could also hear the busyness of the city right through the thin glass of the window.

"Where is this penthouse you're planning to clean, and what if you don't even get the job?" Dad asked. "I'm sorry if that sounded too negative. I'm sure you will get the job, but I guess we have to plan ahead for the possibilities we could be met with."

"It's on Leonard Street in TraBeCa. Apparently it's this tall, glass building that's filled with several units of condos, and if I dont get the job, I'll look for another job around here," I explained.

Dad nodded. "Sounds like you've got it under control."

My mom gave out a soft sigh as she walked over to my dad and then looked to me. "I think we best be going. Aiden wants to check out the Hershey shop in Times Square and some other place-what was it?"

"Modern Art Museum," Aiden reminded her.

"That's right! But were still on for dinner, right?" She asked me.

"Definitely! I'll meet you guys at the Olive Garden in Times Square at six this evening. My interview is at two and might end a little after three. But yeah."

"Alright!" She rushed over and pulled me into a hug. "Good luck on the interview. I know you're going to hook this job with no problems at all."

I smiled against her shoulder. "Thanks, mom."

My dad gave me a hug too before assuring me that I was going to nail the job, and then they all left me alone in my cheap, small apartment that both my parents helped me pay for. My apartment is located on Henry Street in a five story building that's built tall with faded red bricks with a metal gate surrounding it, holding only about twenty-four units. It's not the best apartment building around, but it'll have to do.

Well, I think it's best that I call a Lyft to drive me over to the penthouse that I hope I will be working in. I'm really excited to see it. I'm sure whomever lives on that top floor probably stares out over the city in its elegance and beauty. It probably looks beautiful at night, the whole city lit up so bright that I wouldn't be surprised if the people didn't notice the lateness of the day as they wander the streets.

I snapped myself out of my daydream, reminding myself to schedule for a Lyft. It'll save me a few dollars than scheduling for an Uber.

I pulled my phone out, opening up the 'Lyft' app and scheduling a Lyft to pick me up by 1:35 to get to my interview by 2. I need to be on time to show a good impression. I also need to dress nice. Impression is key!

But while I'm waiting for noon to come around, I think I need to unpack a few things and figure out what I'm going to wear for this interview.

I made my way into my bedroom, deciding that the room I'll be sleeping in is a great place to start putting away and organizing my belongings. I have few clothes now compared to the amount of clothes I had living in Miami with my parents. My old room had a huge closet for me to fit as many clothes as I wanted, but now, I've resorted to a tiny closet. I gave most of my clothes to my best friend, Emerson. She always enjoyed sharing my clothes with me, so she was the first person that came in mind when it came to giving up some of my clothes.

Speaking of Emerson, she wanted me to FaceTime her as soon as I arrived to my new apartment. I can do that while I'm unpacking and figuring something out to wear. She could possibly help me on trying to find a stylish outfit.

I clicked through my phone, going to my contacts and hitting the little FaceTime icon under her name before the screen showed my face peering into the camera while it rang. It only took a few seconds when Emerson's face popped up on my screen and my face switched to a small box at the bottom right corner.

"Oh my God, Madi! You're in New York right now!?" She gasped.

"Yep! I'm alone in my apartment now. My parents and Aiden literally just left a few minutes ago." I set my phone down on the bed, my camera facing up towards the ceiling.

I heard Emerson gasp. "Is that dust on Madison Jane Quinn's ceiling!?"

"Oh my God!" I groaned. "You and Aiden, I swear!"

Emerson released an obnoxious laugh. "What!?"

"Literally right when we entered the apartment, my mom pointed out that there was inches of thick dust everywhere and Aiden, being the irrelevant idiot that he is, said 'careful, mom, Madi could go into instant cardiac arrest at that kind of dirty talk.' I honestly don't understand how he's the oldest." I rolled my eyes at the thought of Aiden before I picked up a box of my clothes from off the floor and sat it down on my stripped bed.

"Really!? That's so mean!" She laughed over the phone. "But I mean, Aiden's cute, so it's okay."

"Emerson!" I scolded her, snatching my phone up so she could see my disgusted face. "We've talked about this! No hitting on my brother. It's weird and gross."

"But Madi!" She whined, dragging out the 'I'. "He's cute!"

"No, Em! He is off limits," I told her, giving her my best serious face.

"Okay, fine," she grumbled, rolling her eyes and collapsing onto her couch. "Anyway, tell me about this job you're trying to get. You haven't told me much about it. Only that it's cleaning a penthouse."

"Oh, it's nothing too special," I mumbled, setting my phone back down so I could open the box and search for an outfit to wear while hanging up some of my shirts. "I haven't seen the building, but apparently it's extremely tall and made out of glass. The penthouse is PH54. I'm really excited to see it."

"Have you tried looking up the penthouse to see what it looks like?" She asked.

"No. I want it to be a surprise. I've only looked up the building, so I know what I'm looking for," I said, holding up a tee shirt, debating whether it was good to wear for the interview or not.

"Do you know who lives in it?"

"Nope. Everything is going to be a surprise," I said, pulling another shirt out to look at. "I don't know what to wear."

"Oh! I've thought about this just in case you were going to ask me what to wear for the interview!"

I grinned at my friend, shaking my head as I picked my phone up to show my face. "Well, what did you plan?"

"Wear that black and white striped, long sleeve button up with those blue jean shorts that you wore to your dad's promotion party last summer," she said, smirking.

"Oh, I know what you're talking about!" I exclaimed, digging through the box in front of me to find the shirt at the bottom of the box. "I found the shirt. I just need to find the shorts."

"Tuck your shirt into the shorts, too."

"I will. Just let me find the shorts real quick," I mumbled, turning around in search of the box filled with my shorts, skirts, and pants, which was stacked on top of a box full of random stuff. I opened the box, pulling clothes out of it.

"When you find them, try the outfit on so I can see," Emerson said.

"Found the shorts!" I pulled the shorts out of the box, holding them up before my eyes. "I'm trying the outfit on now."

Stripping from my previous clothes, I slipped on the outfit, tucking the shirt into the shorts just like Emerson suggested. "Okay, I'm done!"

"Show me!"

I grabbed my phone and propped it up against the box on my bed before stepping back so she can see the outfit in its entirety.

Emerson gasped. "Madi, you look hot!"

I laughed, shaking my head at her. I can always count on her to make me feel confident. "Thanks, hun."

"You're welcome!" She responded. "But listen, I have to go. I start work in an hour."

"I'm going to miss getting percentages off on my Starbuck's drinks, you know," I pouted.

"I'm sure you'll live," Emerson laughed. "But I'll talk to you later. Bye!"

"Bye, Em Em!"

Emerson disconnected, leaving me alone in my apartment like my parents and Aiden had. Now I need to unpack more of my stuff and then get to my interview. I have about three hours before I need to be downstairs and in my Lyft, so I have plenty of time to kill.

•••

I mumbled out a swear word when I realized the time and that my Lyft is probably waiting out front for me, so I grabbed my phone and purse, and then rushed out of my apartment, locking the door behind me. I made it to the lobby and out the front door, my Lyft just pulling up.

I rushed over to the Lyft, opening the door and getting in, then buckling myself in as the Lyft started toward my destination. The woman driving hopped onto Jefferson street, took a right onto Madison street and then continued.

As soon as we were on Leonard street, I noticed a tall, glass building standing high in the sky. That's when I realized, that's the building the penthouse is in. My eyes followed up, up, up as the car neared closer and closer to the massive building. It looked like it reached the clouds.

The Lyft stopped right in front of the building, so I unbuckled and quickly got out. "Thank you!" I told the woman and then shut the car door. She gave me a thumbs up through the window and then drove off, leaving me in front of the humongous structure of pure glass.

"Well, here I go," I mumbled to myself.

I entered the building, my eyes roaming the lobby. It was just a single reception desk with elevators sitting off to the side.

"How may I help you?" A woman asked from behind the desk.

"Um, I'm here for a job interview for penthouse number fifty-four," I said, feeling nervous and like I shouldn't be here. The place looks too extravagant for a girl like me. I'm just-well, normal. This is a habitat for the rich.

"You must be Madison Quinn! Mrs. Napolitano is expecting you. I will let her know you're here," she said, picking up a nearby phone and punching in a number. She gave me a smile as she waited for someone to pick up. "Hello, Mrs. Napolitano, Miss Quinn has arrived. Would you like me to send her up?"

I rocked on the balls of my feet, waiting patiently while I continued to look around. The place is so sophisticated. I can't tell if I'm dreaming the future or if this is real life.

I heard the woman put the phone down before she said, "She is ready for you," and then walked over to the elevator closest to her and stuck a key in, lighting up the button with an arrow pointing down. "You'll also need this." She then handed me a key fob. "It takes you up to the penthouse."

I nodded, taking the key fob.

"Just stick the key in the keyhole under the number fifty-four and the light underneath it will light up. It's quite simple."

Once the elevator arrived, I thanked the woman and got on, sticking the key in the keyhole under the proper number of the penthouse just like she had told me. The doors slid shut, taking me up to the penthouse. The doors then opened up to a beautiful, luxurious foyer. I looked around in search of anybody. "Hello?"

"Just a second!" And then a woman with platinum hair, red lipstick, amazing eye makeup that made her blue eyes pop, and a perfect tan turned the corner from my right. "Madison Quinn, our future maid! Wait, that sounded rude. Was that rude? It didn't sound too appealing. I'm sorry. I'm Lottie. Please, come in before I ruin this for you."

I couldn't help but laugh, stepping outside of the elevator finally. "It's cool. It wasn't rude. After all, I did apply for this." My eyes widened when I looked around. "Oh my God." I was in complete and utter awe at the magnificent penthouse. I've never seen anything like it.

"Isn't it nice?" She asked, standing beside me with her hands on her hips, looking around with me. "Honestly wish I lived here."

I frowned. "Wait, you don't own this place?"

"Oh no! My brother does. He's your boss," she said.

I was even more confused. "Huh?"

She laughed a pretty laugh that I wish I had. I sound like a cat that was kicked in the throat when I laugh.

"Louis Tomlinson, CEO of LT Bank. He's a multibillionaire. He owns this penthouse all to himself," she explained.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Right now, he's in LA. He's flying in real early tomorrow morning and will be staying here for a month due to business matters. You won't meet him until Thursday because he has business meetings all tomorrow from nine in the morning to late," she said, walking into the living room. "Shall we start the interview?"

I agreed, taking a seat in the living room with her before beginning my interview.

•••

"Well, you sound great! I believe you're trustworthy and that you'll do Louis proud. You seem like you can handle the work load pretty well," Lottie said, sending me a genuine smile.

"So I've got the job?" I asked.

"You've got the job, hun," she assured me. "You're scheduled to work from 3pm to 9pm everyday except Sundays. Those are Louis' quiet days. He would like you to clean the toilets with bleach. Those are the only rooms that receive bleach. Other rooms, use different disinfectants. Everything needs to be dusted down and laundry must be done. Towels also need to be restocked everyday. Bed sheets must be changed every other day. The floors need to be swept and washed. He is also bringing his dog, Clifford."

I nodded in understanding. "Yes, ma'am."

"He also told me to tell you that this job requires a uniform. That's why I asked for your clothing sizes in the email. So I have your uniform ready," she said, standing up from the couch. "Let me go get it real quick. You might think it's a little cheesy, but I don't know."

I was confused by what she meant as she went off to another room to grab the uniform.

Cheesy?

Lottie came back, a black and white uniform in hand that was covered with a dress of plastic. It also had a white apron with it that had frilly sides. It didn't look too cheesy. It was just a normal maid's uniform with the white collar and sleeve cuffs with an apron. "He also wants your hair tied up in a tight bun, and you may not wear any piece of jewelry."

I nodded my head, taking the uniform. "Okay, yeah."

"I'm sorry if he sounds really strict. He's a great, genuine guy when you get to know him, though. He makes a great man, I promise," she said, laughing.

"Oh, no. He's fine," I told her to assure her.

We then fell into a comfortable silence as she stared out of the glass walls that overlooked the city. I looked out with her. It was the perfect view for it being the tallest, grandest building in TraBeCa, Manhattan.

"You know this building is nicknamed the 'Jenga' building?" Lottie started, interrupting the silence.

"I can see it being called that, telling why it looks so future-like and extravagant with it's glass units stacked on one another," I said, watching the busy roads beneath us.

"A Swiss architecture firm called Herzog & de Meuron built this place and described it as 'houses stacked in the sky.' The best thing about living so far up in the sky is that when the sun goes down, you can look out from the balcony and watch the city come alive with millions of beautiful lights," she explained.

I felt relaxed just seeing the view in my head.

"Louis likes that. When he comes here after work, he sits on the balcony with a cup of tea and watches the sun sink down behind the buildings. He likes how the sun reflects off the tall, shiny buildings. He said it's aesthetically beautiful."

"He sounds like someone I can get along with," I said, giving out a soft laugh.

"He's very easy to get along with, so don't ever worry about that. But don't ever mention pineapple on pizza or he'll have your throat," she said jokingly.

I laughed. "He sounds great."

Lottie sighed, crossing a leg over the other as she took a look at her phone. "Shoot!"

I looked over at her with a befuddled expression. "What's the matter?"

"I've got to go, hun! I have a meeting with a makeup company and I'm going to be late if I don't go now, so it was lovely meeting you!" She said, quickly standing up from the couch. "Oh, here's a key to the penthouse so you can let yourself in tomorrow." She reached into the pocket of her tight jeans and handed me a key. "I'll also have Marlene copy you a key for the elevator and enter you into the system."

"Okay, great." I stuffed the key into my pocket of my shorts as I stood up with my uniform draped over my arm. "I'll make sure Louis' penthouse is dusted down and clean by the time he gets here tomorrow night."

"Awesome! Good luck on your first day tomorrow," Lottie said, going for the elevator.

I followed her into the elevator because it was almost four and I needed to get home to get ready for dinner and then get to Olive Garden in Times Square by six.

"Thank you so much, Lottie," I said. "The penthouse is in good hands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	3. Chapter Two

**Madison  
** _Wednesday, July 16th_

I sighed when I finished pulling my hair up into a bun all while looking at the uniform that I was told to where for the job. It fit my figure well and made me look curvy. The uniform reached just above the knee, so it shows off a bit more leg than it probably should. If I could role-play as a naughty maid, this would be it.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. It's not that bad, I don’t think.

I shrugged, grabbing my makeup bag from off my bed, picking out a tube of mascara and a small eyeshadow palette that contained nude shades. I applied a shade that was a sepia brown, a redish-brown color, and then added my mascara after.

Checking the time on my phone, I noticed that I only had twenty minutes before I had to be outside for my Lyft, so I grabbed my box of cleaning supplies and made sure I had everything that I needed in order to clean Louis' penthouse properly. I want him to come home to a clean and smelling good house tonight. He seems to have his hands full today with meetings, so I want him to be able to relax as soon as he walks through the front door.

I waited around until it was time for me to leave in order to get to my job on time. I can't waste time when I only have six hours to get that penthouse deep cleaned. I need to impress him.

I rushed out of my apartment with my box of cleaning supplies and ran out the front to find my Lyft already waiting for me. It was an older man this time.

I opened the car door before shoving my box of supplies inside and then getting in, shutting the door and buckling up.

"A maid?" The man asked in a gruff voice. He didn't say it in a way to purposely offend me.

"Yes, sir," I answered.

He made a small laugh. "Bet you're getting paid well to clean a condo on Leonard Street, aren't you?"

"Yeah. It's my first day, actually," I said, smiling and sitting up proudly in my seat.

"Well," he started, looking at me through the rearview mirror with a friendly smile, "I hope your first day goes well."

I was amazed at how friendly the older man was. A lot of the people walk around here with grimaces and glares. It's honestly unsettling.

"Thank you!" I thanked him.

The man then continued to drive in silence while I watched out the window, the car rushing past tall buildings and people. The older man even had to slam up on his brakes because some man on a bike ran out in front of him. Normal New York behavior. Typical.

After arriving to the building, I got out and gave the man a wave before he was speeding off to blend in with the afternoon traffic and I entered the building. The same receptionist from yesterday was still there, and she gave me a smile when she noticed me.

Just as I was walking towards the elevator, it opened up to an older woman who wore a white cardigan over a white blouse with blue jeans and crème colored flats. Her hair was short and gray with two sets of pearly necklaces hanging from her neck while a huge broach was clipped to her cardigan. The broach seemed to be real diamonds.

"Excuse me," she mumbled, walking off the elevator with her white Maltese on a leash.

I stepped out of her way and let her go by. She gave me a smile as she did and went for the door.

"She owns PH53, the floor underneath the penthouse that you clean," the receptionist said. "Her name is Ida Winchester. She's an English woman, which you probably figured out already."

"She looks very rich." I stuck the key into the keyhole to get the button to light up before the doors were sliding open.

"When she's home, go have a talk with her. She's a very interesting woman, and to even get on her good side, bring her some oatmeal raisin cookies. Those are her favorite," the receptionist told me before I got on the elevator.

"Will do. Thanks for the info," I said politely. "I'll be sure to do that."

The doors slid shut and I stuck the key in front of the keyhole and twisting it until the light blinked on, the elevator taking me up to the penthouse.

I entered Louis' penthouse and looked around again, the sight still amazing me. Louis is really lucky to be living in this grand condo. I could barely afford half of what this condo costs.

As I put the box of cleaning supplies down, I heard the bark of a dog before a black and white labradoodle trotted into the room. He was medium sized with curly fur covering his entire body.

"Clifford," I said his name and he immediately ran up to me, sitting at my feet and looking up at my face. "Hey, buddy." I ruffled the fur on his head, which felt soft like he had just been groomed. "Daddy just dropped you off before going to his meetings, huh?"

Clifford just stared up at me, panting with his pink tongue out.

Okay, let's see where I should start first. I see a bit of dust on some of the appliances, so maybe I should dust before doing anything else.

I grabbed the feather duster out of the box and began to dust down the expensive appliances. I could tell that some of the appliances were worth thousands of dollars. It would probably cost my life if I accidentally broke something in this place.

I dusted gently, ridding the penthouse of the sheen of dust that sat on tables, knick-knacks, dressers, and other appliances. It took me about an hour and a half in order to dust everything until not even one speck of dust was left.

I was in the master bedroom when I finished dusting and turned toward the bed.

I dont know how long he's been away from this penthouse or when his sheets have been cleaned, but I think stripping the beds of their sheets and washing them would be a good idea. I want Louis to be able to crawl into a nice, clean bed tonight.

I immediately grabbed one corner of the bed and started to pull the comforters and sheets off, even ridding the pillows of their cases. Walking into the second room, I did the same thing, stripped the bed. I did that to the last two rooms before carrying the heap of sheets to the laundry room.

Starting up the wash, I poured in the laundry detergent as it filled up before stuffing the white sheets inside, shutting the top.

I should empty Louis' suitcases so he doesnt feel like he's living out of it and even having it sitting around in his room. I can do that while I wait for the washer to do its job.

I passed through the hallway and into the master bedroom, tugging Louis' suitcase onto the naked bed and unzipped it to find his clothes all folded up nice and neat. It was just his normal clothes. His suits were draped over a chair in the corner of the room with dry cleaner bags dressed over them. They looked really nice and fitting. Makes me wonder what Louis looks like...

I started to pull Louis' clothes out of the suitcase and placing them neatly in drawers and hanging them up on white hangers that hung in the closet. I even picked out a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste and mouthwash, deodorant, razors and shaving cream, and hair supplies.

I gathered all of his toiletries and organized them in the bathroom before deciding that I should make sure the bathroom is cleaned for him just in case he were to want to shower or use the toilet.

I went back to the box of cleaning supplies and pulled out disinfectants and bleach for the bathroom. While I did that, I noticed Clifford on the floor, watching me rush to get everything done on time.

I returned to the master bathroom and began my cleaning by dumping cleaner in the toilet and wiping around it, especially the seat. I made sure there was a clean set of hand towels to dry his hands with after washing them and even put out a set of towels for his shower. I disinfected any handles; washed the floor; cleaned out the sink; and then organized cabinets and shelves before deciding that the bathroom was finished.

I switched the sheets from the washer and shoved them into the dryer, and then I decided I should sweep the floors and prepare them to be vacuumed or washed. I snatched up a broom and began sweeping the wood floors. There was little dirt covering them, but if I didnt sweep, I'm sure the dirt could damage the floors. They seem to be white oak floors, which are very expensive.

Humming a soft tune, I swept the dirt into the pan and dumped it in the trash. It took a bit of time to sweep all of the rooms with hardwood floor to the point by the time I finished sweeping the floors, the dryer was ready. In whole, it took me an hour to sweep the entire penthouse.

I hurried off to the laundry room and pulled the crisp, warm sheets out and carry them off to the bedrooms where I set the set of sheets on each bed to be put on later.

Okay, now I need to disinfect everything else in the penthouse.

I moved on to wiping appliances down; cleaning handles or anything else hands could grip onto; running a cloth over leather furniture and making sure I'm careful not to damage them; and even sanitized the kitchen. I made sure to wipe the piano-shaped counter with a different disinfectant that was specially made for kitchen tables.

Just as I was pulling out the small vacuum cleaner, my phone went off in the pocket of my apron. I groaned, fishing it out only to see that it was Emerson calling me, so I answered.

"Emerson, I'm working," I grumbled.

"Is it at least going well?" She asked with a laugh.

"My time is low. I'm trying to get this place cleaned before the owner comes home tonight."

"Have you met him?"

"No." I tucked the phone between my shoulder and my ear as I fumbled with the vacuum. "I won't meet him until tomorrow."

"What!? You haven't even met the man yet!? That's a real shame, honestly, girl," Emerson said. "Hope you're working hard. He seems like a serious, conservative man."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"I might've looked him up. I had to find out who was staying in the penthouse first and once I found his name, I typed him into Google and let me tell you, he is-"

"Emerson, I have to go. I can't waste anymore time. I'm not even close to finished. I still have to vacuum, wash the floors, and make the beds. I don't have much time to do all those things, so I have to be zippity-quick. So I'll talk to you later, okay?" I plugged in the small vacuum before waiting for Emerson's response.

"Fine!" She groaned. "I'll talk to you later. Text me when you leave work. I need to tell you about this guy that I met at work and how he was using Starbucks pickup lines."

Oh, that seems interesting. Maybe she can tell me while I clean...no, I mustn't give in. I need to get my work done.

"Okay, I'll text you after work and then you can tell me," I said.

"Awesome! Bye, Mad Madi!" She exclaimed before the line cut and my phone made a 'beep' sound that meant the call ended. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and proceeded to clean, flipping the vacuum on and beginning to vacuum the designer carpets on a low setting. I moved the furniture off of the carpets to be sure I got every speck of dirt. I even pulled out the handheld vacuum that I have to clean furniture like couches and recliners. I'll wait to move the furniture back in place until after everything is done.

I made sure I vacuumed every crease and pocket of the couches and recliners to be sure I don't leave any dirt or crumbs behind. Last thing he probably wants is bugs or the dirt ruining the material of the furniture. I need to make sure nothing gets ruined in this penthouse while I'm working here or else I'm going to be blamed because I'm the lady that cleans the place. I'm sure it would probably take a year for me to even pay off one piece of furniture, but that's if I don't buy anything for myself for a whole year. In reality, it'll probably take a lifetime to pay off any damages.

Once I had finished vacuuming, I pulled out an empty bucket that held a dry rag and a big sponge. I'd rather sponge wash the floors instead of using a mop because I can make sure I get any spots up. I'm also on my hands and knees, so it gets me closer to the floor to see what I'm washing.

I went over to the kitchen sink with the bucket, taking everything out of it first and setting them on the counter, and then sat the bucket in the sink and ran water in it. When it was filled a little halfway, I turned the water off and added soap into the bucket.

I grabbed the sponge and rag in one hand and carried the filled bucket of soapy water in the other and carried them over to the living room. I got down on my knees and when I did, Clifford was suddenly by my side trying to get me to pet him.

"Clifford, buddy, I have to clean before your dad gets home. I want to make sure his house is cleaned by the time he gets home tonight," I said to him, ruffling the fur behind his ears. "Now go on, bud. Go lay down."

Clifford trotted off to the living room and plopped down on one of the carpets. I sighed and looked down at the bucket of water. Okay, I just need to do this and make the beds, then I'll be finished cleaning for today.

I grabbed the large sponge and dunked it down into the soapy water before squeezing any access water out of it and beginning to scrub the brown white oak floors. I washed and dried the floors, eventually making my way all the way to the front door. I noticed there was more dirt in the front room than the living room, but that's probably because when people enter the penthouse, they have just come outside.

As I was reaching across to scrub a spot that was a little far from where I was sitting on my knees, the elevator door suddenly slid open, revealing a man wearing a navy blue suite, a white button up underneath his blazer, a pair of ray bans sunglasses hanging from the pocket of the blazer on his left peck, light brown dress shoes to cover his feet, and his hair was brushed back oh-so-perfectly while his well sculpted face was cleanly shaven. And his eyes, oh my god, his eyes...they're so...captivating. They were a beautiful blue that I swore his eyes held the ocean.

I just sat there in place, my eyes wide as my mouth was open in shock, and my rump in the air to the point my dress rode up to where if I stretched forward even just a inch, my ass may show.

"What a pleasant surprise," the man spoke, a playful smirk playing on his lips as stepped off the elevator.

I quickly scrambled to my feet, nearly falling in the process, and stood up straight with my hands hooked behind my back. I tried to speak words but I was incapable, instead, I fish-mouthed.

I noticed the man's eyes scan the home. "What have you done to my house?"

"Uh, I-I-uh...I was cleaning and I didn't think-You're home early and I-I thought you were going to be home later but-"

The man chuckled. "I'm only joking, love. Don't get yourself worked up."

I sighed out of relief. My heart felt like it was close to beating out of my chest and my stomach even hurt.

"But I do apologize for showing up unannounced and interrupting your cleaning process. The meeting I was supposed to be attending around this time was cancelled due to the fact that one of the execs couldn't make it because of family matters," he apologized.

My cheeks were a deep shade of red because I felt the intense heat in them. "Yeah, that's fine..."

I couldn't help but admire him. He was absolutely everything a woman would want. His jaw was sculpted perfectly. His lips were thin but looked so kissable, and I'm sure they're well capable of doing some other things as well. His hands looked strong and masculine, his knuckles prominent, and I could see some of the veins that ventured down his knuckles to the tops of his palms. His body was built in the shape of an hourglass, his suit really accentuating his figure.

"I guess I should let you finish your job. I do apologize."

I blinked my eyes to stop myself from staring and admiring him any longer. "Oh, yeah, it's okay."

Louis gave me a genuine smile and then walked away into the living room.

Oh my gosh, that was super embarrassing! So we meet when I'm down on my hands and knees with almost my ass showing. That's just great!

I resumed cleaning the floors while Louis sat in the living room in a cushioned chair. I made sure to face my bum elsewhere so he doesn't take a peek what's under my dress. I'm sure he's not like that, but I don't know him well. I snuck a quick look over at him but tensed up and looked back down when I saw him already staring at me. He looked like he was thinking about something. I just continued to clean.

"Madison Quinn."

I quickly looked up at the sound of my name.

"So I assume I got your name right?" He asked with an amused grin.

I nodded.

He hummed, still watching me closely. "Age?"

"Twenty-one, sir," I responded, continuing to scrub the floors.

"Where do you live?"

"In an apartment building on Henry Street." I'm sure as rich as he is, he probably just cringed at the thought of Henry Street.

"And why do you clean?" He asked this time.

"Umm," I hummed, "it's just something I'm really good at. My last job paid me a low minimum wage, so I wasn't getting anywhere. The job sucked. But then I saw that you were in need of a personal maid, so here I am. Now I'm definitely out of money. But cleaning isn't that bad of a job."

He chuckled. "Maybe for someone who's good at it."

I shrugged. "I guess you're right."

That was the end of the conversation before we were back to silence. I eventually finished washing the floor and quickly made up the beds with their fresh sheets. As I walked out of the master bedroom, I saw Louis moving the furniture back into place which made me feel terrible. He didn't have to do that. That was my job.

"Oh, Mr. Tomlinson, I could've done that," I said, watching as he pushed the final piece of furniture back into place.

"It's quite alright. I'm sure you're tired anyway, so don't worry about it." He turned to me with a grin. "You look tired."

"I am, if I'm going to be honest," I laughed softly.

"Have a seat for a moment," he said, gesturing me towards the couch. I gladly sat down on the designer couch as he took a seat in the leather, cushioned chair. "Thank you."

I frowned. "You don't have to thank me, Mr. Tomlinson. It's my job."

"It's only proper to thank a young lady for doing such a thing," he said, his eyes landing on me and nearly taking my breath away again. They're so pretty.

I blushed at his kind words. He's a man of charm and is _definitely_ a gentleman.

"You're getting paid next Friday," Louis started, in which I nodded in response. "I want to give you something a little extra until your first paycheck so you can afford food and what not."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he dug into his pocket for something. Wait, he better not be giving me m-

"Here." He then held out three one-hundred dollar bills to me that he had taken right from his own wallet.

"Uhh..." I shook my head. "No, you don't have to-"

"Madison, just take it."

"But-"

" _Madison_." His voice was deep and his eyes looked intimidating. "Take it."

I was tense under his stare, so I gulped and hesitantly accepted the money. "I-I uh...I'll pay you back"

Louis laughed. "No need, love. I want to help, so I don't want anything in return, just your kindness."

I bit my bottom lip, looking down at the money in my hands. It didn't feel right, but I'm afraid he'll get angry with me if I try to give it back. That look on his face when I tried denying it...

I folded up the money and tucked it away into the front of my apron before looking up to find Louis staring at my face, almost as if he was studying me. Avoiding his eyes, I looked out of the glass walls that peered over New York.

"Well, I guess I should get home before it gets late," I mumbled.

Louis hummed, watching me stand up from the couch. "I suppose you should. Make sure you get enough rest and I'll see you tomorrow, dear."

"You will?" I questioned.

He crossed his right leg over the left. "I don't have any meetings tomorrow. It's just going to be an in-day for me."

I nodded, standing small and shy.

His eyes suddenly traveled down my body and back up with a light smirk on his face, causing my cheeks to immediately heat up. He then said in a seducing and sexy tone, "Goodnight, Miss Madison."

I was in shock and my cheeks burned even more. "G-Goodnight, Mr. Tomlinson," I squeaked out before I quickly grabbed my supplies and went straight to the elevator.

When I got into the elevator, I tried to slow my breath and my racing heart. I fished out my phone and went straight to Emerson's texts.

_Em, I don't think I've ever seen a man look so hot and heavenly in all the days I've lived on this earth. SOS! - Madi_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	4. Chapter Three

**Madison**   
_Thursday, July 17th_

"You have a good day, now!" My Lyft driver called to me as I rushed to grab my stuff from the backseat. It was pouring down raining, nearly soaking me completely as I yanked my belongings out of the car, slammed the door shut, and ran into the lobby of the building.

The receptionist gave me a small smile as I pressed the down button to order the elevator down. I waited patiently, dripping with water that started to freeze my warm skin. I honestly didn't know why I didn't bring a coat or something. I guess I just didn't think it would just pour down on the way here.

I finally got up to the penthouse and stepped inside. It was dark inside while the rain pounded on the windows and the balconies outside, the water sliding down the flat surface of the glass exterior of the building. I looked around in search of Louis because I knew he was suppose to be inside today, but I couldn't find him.

I quietly sat my supplies down beside me and walked toward the living room. I saw the end of a blanket draped over the side of the couch, so I peeked at the couch to find Louis sleeping on it, a blanket draped over his body all the way up to his shoulders. It was actually quite an adorable scene.

Smiling, I approached the man and lightly shook him awake. "Louis."

His eyes fluttered open, revealing the perfect blues of his eyes. My heart felt vulnerable to them as it pumped faster in my chest. He blinked his eyes up at me before they were focused on my face, his pupils dilating at the sight of me.

"I just want to let you know that I'm here," I said, smiling politely.

He hummed, sitting up on the couch, and his blanket dropped from his shoulders. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head at the sight of his bare chest. His skin was a golden tan and tattoos covered his arms and across his chest. He didn't have a six pack or anything, but he still looked amazingly fit. His tummy was taut, his waist was in a shape of an hour glass, and he had just enough chest hair on his chest. It wasn't an excessive amount but it wasn't sparse either.

Louis stood up, reaching his arms over his head to stretch his body from laying on the couch. "Damn, it's raining," he mumbled as he dropped his arms down to his side and peered across the room to look outside.

I nearly drooled when I noticed that he was wearing gray Adidas sweatpants that hung low on his hips and revealed a v-line. He's got to be showing off, I swear. He's probably doing this on purpose, isn't he?

"You look soaked."

I blinked away from his body and up at him. "Uhh..."

"The rain, love," he chuckled, noticing the look of confusion on my face.

"Yeah, I knew that," I murmured, my cheeks turning a bright pink. "I should start cleaning."

"I guess you should," he agreed, turning on his heel and heading for the kitchen. I had to force myself not to look at his fit, sculpted back and just went over to my supplies, grabbing a feather duster.

As I began dusting, Louis made himself a cup of tea and sat down on the couch, Clifford sitting by his feet. I felt his blue eyes following me as I dusted off the entertainment center. I then had to dust off the table in front of him, so I turned around and walked over to the table. Louis didn't care if I noticed him watching me because he just continued. I shyly dusted the table off as quickly as I could.

"How old are you again, darling?" Louis then asked out of the blue before I could escape his stare.

"Twenty-one, sir," I answered, swallowing hard when I finally allowed my eyes to meet his.

He hummed in response and took a sip of his tea. "No offense," he started and gently placed his tea down on the coffee table that I had just dusted, "as young as you are, I would imagine seeing you hanging out with a bunch of friends and living it up at parties, but instead, you're cleaning a man's penthouse."

"I have to make money somehow. I have to pay bills and stuff," I said.

"Have you ever been to a party?" He asked, a smirk playing on his lips almost as if he's mocking me.

I snorted. "Uh, yeah! Sure I have."

He grinned maliciously before saying, "Okay, when was the last party you went to?"

Now my cheeks were heating up because it's been forever since my last party. "Umm...when I was sixteen..."

Louis threw his head back laughing. "You can't be serious!"

I rolled my eyes as my cheeks heated up even more.

"Oh, darling, that's no good." He shook his head. "You deserve to have fun. You're twenty-one for god's sake! When I was your age I called off work just to go to a party and get absolutely wasted."

"Well, I like my job and need to make money. So I think I'll survive without having to go to a party," I said before making my way around to my supplies to grab some cleaners for the kitchen.

Louis chuckled and grabbed his tea from off the table. He finally left me alone as I cleaned the kitchen. He had only a couple dishes in the sink, so I hand-washed them and put them away where they belong. I wiped down all of the appliances in the kitchen and then decided that his room should be next.

I walked into Louis' room and found his bed unmade, his clothes on the floor, and his towel from his shower sat on top of the toilet cap. I also noticed a pair of glasses sitting on the side table next to the bed.

Dear God, would I die to see those glasses on him. As attractive as he is now, he would absolutely kill every woman in the universe just by taking one look at him with those glasses on. I'm sure any woman would bend over for him right then and there.

I picked up around his room and organized everything. I put anything back that was moved from its rightful home and even did the same with the bathroom. By the time I finished that, I had to make his bed to finish the room up.

I pulled the pillows off the bed and placed them in the small chair that sat in the corner of the room before fixing the sheets. I began to hum to the tune of 'A-Team' by Ed Sheeran as I yanked the comforter up the bed and removed any wrinkles out of it by gently smoothing my hand over the fabric.

I turned around to grab the pillows but jumped and screamed at the same time when I found shirtless Louis leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest with a sly grin on his face.

"Hope I didn't scare you," he teased, his eyes crinkling at the corners by his smile.

I sighed, a hand over my racing heart. "May I help you with something?"

Louis hummed in thought. "It might not be professional."

I was taken back by his response because what does he mean by that, exactly?

My eyes went wide at the possible idea of what he meant and shook my head. "Oh no, sir. I can't do those kinds of things. I'm only the maid, Mr. Tomlinson," I babbled.

Louis released a laugh and shook his head at how I probably interrupted him and didn't allow him to really explain himself. "Oh, darling, your head is just in the gutter this afternoon, isn't it?"

I blushed, obviously embarrassed.

"That is far from what I meant," he continued and couldnt stop laughing.

I wanted to run away, but he was in the way of my escape, so I just stood there, soaking in the pure embarrassment that washed over my body. I am such a fool for thinking in such a way. Now he's going to walk around here thinking that I have this dirty, foul mind. That is definitely far from the impression I wanted him to have on me as his maid.

Louis calmed his hysterical laughter before he began to speak. "What I was going to ask that I thought would be unprofessional was that if you would be able to cook for me. I haven't had a home-cooked meal in what feels like ages."

I sighed in relief. "Yeah, of course I can do that."

"The young, innocent maid has got a naughty mind. Go figure," he teased.

"It's not my fault you made it sound bad," I grumbled as I grabbed the pillows from the chair and placed them on the bed.

"Oh, like earlier when you gave me this puzzled look when I said that you were soaked," he mentioned and caused me to cringe.

I blushed even more and fluffed the pillows so I wouldn't have to look at the man.

"What made you think of such things?" He asked, teasing me more.

I shrugged.

"Oh, love, don't be embarrassed," he said. "I was only joking."

"I know," I mumbled, awkwardly smoothing out the wrinkles on the pillow cases.

The room suddenly went silent and I could feel his eyes on me again as I grabbed the decorative pillows and placed them on the bed. The silence was excruciating, so I had to think of something to say.

"I'll go out and buy the stuff for whatever you want me to make," I said as I turned to face the gorgeous man.

"I've already taken care of that part this morning. You have everything you need already. The meal just needs to be made," he said and smiled softly.

"Okay, cool," I said with a nod. It was awkward, but I didn't care. "Then I guess I should start making it."

"I guess so," he said back and moved out of the doorframe and down the hall.

I followed close behind and made my way over to the kitchen.

"What am I making and how do I make it?" I questioned.

Louis came into the kitchen, approached a cupboard, and opened it only to pull out a cookbook. "It's called a Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner." He opened the book to the recipe and placed it on the counter for me to see.

"I would make it myself if I knew how to cook properly," he chuckled.

My eyes skimmed over the recipe and nodded. I'm pretty sure I can cook this. I mean, I don't usually cook, but I'm not bad at it.

"Alright, I think I've got this."

Louis patted my back before leaving me alone in the kitchen.

•••

I excitedly set the table for Louis because I was determined to find out whether I made this meal correctly. Louis' going to be my critic tonight. I placed the clean, porcelain plate down on the table along with a silver fork on the left side of the plate and a knife on the right on top of a folded napkin.

I scurried off into the kitchen to fetch the platter and dished it onto Louis' plate.

"Okay, Mr. Tomlinson, your dinner is ready," I said, pouring him a glass of white wine to go with his dinner. I heard Louis approach me from behind before taking his seat, scooting it up so he's closer to the table. He was also wearing a shirt this time, a plain white tee.

"This looks great, Madison," he commented, viewing the steaming food. "Very nice."

"Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson," I said with a big, proud grin on my face.

He noticed me still standing beside him. "Aren't you going to join me?"

I frowned in confusion because I didn't think he would want me eating with him. Who would want a maid eating dinner with them? I wouldn't blame him if that's the case.

"I didn't think you would want to eat with a maid," I admitted aloud.

Louis gave me this puzzled expression, simply taken back by my words. "Is that how you think of me?"

I was even more confused now.

"I only made enough for you, sir," I said.

He looks down at his plate of food before biting his lip in thought. "Get another fork," he instructed.

I stared at him, obviously still confused.

He noticed how I just stood there and then he spoke with a tone of aggravation. "Go on. Don't just stand there and stare at me like I've got five heads or something like that. Get another fork and sit down."

I rushed off to fetch another fork before coming back and sitting down in the chair beside him just like he had ordered me.

"Come on, bring your chair closer," he said, beckoning me, so I moved a little closer, but I guess not close enough, which he was displeased with. "I'm hungry, but I don't bite. Closer, love!"

I moved even more closer to him until he was pleased and I just sat there awkwardly, which he noticed and laughed.

"You're just sitting there in a lump like you don't know what to do," he chuckled. "I want to share my food with you. After all, you did make it and couldn't even make enough for yourself. Selfless girl."

I was taken back by his words, but I continued to sit there in a 'lump' as he calls it.

"Oh God, darling!" He takes the fork from my hand and scoops up some of the food. "Open."

I looked at him out of bewilderment. This is so weird. I can't have my boss feeding me food that I made for him. I can't have my boss feeding me, _period_! It's extremely unprofessional.

Louis laughed at the look on my face. "Open."

I hesitantly opened my mouth and allowed him to feed me the food. His blue eyes dialed in on my lips, watching them closely. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as soon as the fork entered my mouth, but that didn't last long when I became impressed by the taste of the dinner I had prepared. It was tasteful and appetizing.

Louis let me take the fork so he could grab his own fork and tried the platter himself. He seemed impressed when he took a bite, his eyes lighting up. He hummed in delight as he chewed and swallowed. "This is exceptional, Madison. Props to you."

"Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson," I said with a nod and a smile.

We began to share the meal in a bit of a comfortable silence, but Louis was the first to break it.

"I think it would be quite proper to get to know my employee a little bit, don't you think?" He said before taking another bite of the food.

I sat up a little in my seat before answering, "Yeah, sure. What do you want to know?"

He hummed, shoving a bit of food around the plate with his fork. "Lets start with where you're from. You don't look like a city girl."

"I'm from Miami, Florida," I replied.

Louis nodded his head. "I've been to Miami quite a bit for business. What was your previous job?"

"Um, I was a maid. I worked with this cleaning company and was assigned wealthy, grand houses to clean. I was paid a low minimum wage, so I knew I wasn't going to get far getting paid as much as I was getting. I wanted to buy my own house and stuff, but with that job I knew it was going to be impossible," I explained.

"What about your family?" He asked.

"My family doesn't own much, but my dad recently got a really good business job with a known company and just got promoted last year to managing. My mom is an elementary school Art teacher, and my brother is in college for engineering. Were not so bad off now, but we struggled when I was younger."

Louis was chewing his food when I finished, but he chewed in a silence that felt awkward for me. I felt like he was probably judging me and thinking 'this girl will never amount to me.'

"So uh...what about your job? Your multibillion bank company, to be more exact," I said out of curiosity.

Louis frowned as he swallowed. "Oh no, darling. We don't talk about that."

I was confused. "Why?"

His eyes met mine before he spoke. "It's nothing for you to worry about." His voice was gentle and respectful. I would've expected him to brag about his company in this snobby tone, but no, he didn't. I admired that. I guess he would rather isolate himself from anything work related, especially on his day off.

"Well, uh...I guess I should clean up my mess," I mumbled and stood up from my chair, but Louis was quick to stop me with his hand grabbing ahold of mine. I looked down at the hand in shock.

"No need to be in such a rush, love. Have a seat," he spoke softly and tenderly. His tone was the sweetest anybody has ever spoken to me, so I sat back down in the chair, his hand eventually letting mine go. I wanted to hold it for a little while longer because it felt warm and soft in my own. "Finish eating."

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'm not hungry anymore," I said, waving him off.

Louis frowned. "Have I ruined your appetite?"

"Oh no, Lo-Mr. Tomlinson! You're fine. I just don't eat much. What I had was filling," I told him and gave him a smile to reassure him.

"I hope you are not lying to me." This time his voice changed to one that was more stern and dominating while his eyes stared me down for a response. It was kind of frightening, to be honest.

I shook my head frantically. "No, sir. I'm not lying, sir."

His face softened. "Go have a seat on the couch. I'll bring you a glass of wine."

My eyes nearly bugged out of my face. "Oh, sir, I can't! I have a job to do that you're paying me for, not sit on your couch to drink wine! I will not accept such a-"

Louis cleared his throat before speaking again. "Madison, have a seat on the couch."

I was conflicted because I wasn't sure what to do. I'm suppose to be cleaning his house, not drinking wine with the man! I'm pretty sure that's a big violation, but he's ordering me around like I've taken the place of Clifford. I am no dog! Just because he's my boss doesn't mean he can-

I stood up from where I was sitting and made my way over to the couch without arguing with the man. I really like this job, so I can't afford losing it.

I sat there on the couch waiting for Louis and stared out of the window that peered over New York. It was dark, so every light illuminated the city, making it come alive.

My heart nearly jumped from my chest when Louis appeared in front of me, holding out a glass of light red wine. "You don't look like the type who enjoys dry wines, so I poured you some moscato," he said as I hesitantly took the glass from him with slightly shaky hands.

That only freaked me out because he's right, I don't like dry, bitter wines.

Louis sat down beside me and he was so close that his leg touched mine. He slung an arm around the back of the couch behind my head and watched the city that never sleeps with me.

My nerves were really out of wack as my heart was beating a mile a minute and I fiddled with the hem of my dress while I stared out the window, not even daring to look over at the handsome, rich man beside me.

Louis looked over at me before I felt his hand rubbing my shoulder. It was friendly and comforting.

"You seem timid, love. Everything alright?" He questioned.

I only nodded in response.

"Am I making you feel uncomfortable or something?"

"No, I'm just not used to this type of setting," I said.

Louis chuckled. "This type of setting? What, sitting next to a man while drinking a glass of wine in a New York penthouse?"

"Exactly," I laughed with him before taking a sip of my wine.

"Well, you should probably be use to the sitting next to a man part," he said.

I snorted. "Not even close to being familiar with that!

"You can't be serious?"

I looked over at him to see him staring at me in shock. "As serious as a heart attack."

He hummed in thought as he resumed staring out at New York. "I find that pretty hard to believe."

Is my boss hitting on me already!? I've barely worked here a week!

I kept silent but allowed my eyes to take a quick sneak peak at his hands.

No ring.

Now what woman let this man slip from her grasp? She must've been really stupid. He's beautiful, handsome, and intelligent. It's hard not to swoon when you see what such beauty he retains.

Hmm, tragic.

I suddenly released a yawn and brought a hand to cover my mouth as I did so. Louis noticed and smiled softly.

"Tired?" He assumed.

"Mhm," I hummed with a nod. "I think I should clean up the dinner stuff and head home."

"Don't worry about dinner. I've got it handled. You go ahead and get home so you can get some shut eye," he said.

"B-But you're paying me to clean your house, so I think I should be the one cleaning up the-"

"You made me dinner, so I think the right thing to do is clean up. You don't let someone else clean up dinner when they made it for you. It's only respect, love," he said, his hand back on my shoulder again.

I kept silent as I sat there, gently swishing the red wine around in circles in the glass. I began to wonder about this man's relationships. How can someone as handsome as he is live on his own? He's in his thirties and not married. He's childless. He doesn't seem to have a woman to entertain him, as far as I can see. Or he's just a rich man who's still looking for that particular woman that he has yet to find.

"Mr. Tomlinson," I started and he hummed in response, sipping at his glass of white wine from dinner, "do you have anyone?"

I looked over at him when he didn't respond immediately. There was a crease in his forehead as he thought about my question.

"In what way?" He questioned, meeting my eyes and nearly taking my breath away at the color change in his eyes. They seemed like a much stormier blue than before. Before, they were a cerulean, but now they're the color of a sea in the middle of a rough storm.

"A lady. It's quite hard to believe that someone like you could be alone," I explained.

He made a small 'hmph' and looked away from me. "You better believe it. I'm as lonely as the Hertz Whale."

My heart felt something for him when he said that. His facial expression changed into one that didn't seem normal for him. It was a depressed look on his face. Conflicted, even.

"Why?" Was all I asked.

"Just haven't found the right person, I suppose. No one meets my preferences these days," he admitted.

I frowned. "Preferences?" 

"I'm looking for a woman who is loyal, kind, and considerate. Someone who isn't out looking for money. I find it quite cute when a woman gets all conflicted when a man like me offers them money. They just deny, deny, deny, but I like to get my way. They don't seem to understand that I want to take care of them. So that's what I want, a woman who is going to let me take care of her and treat her like no other. Make her feel and know that she's my girl and no one else. I need a woman who is going to trust me but also show just the same amount of honesty." When he finished, he tipped back the rest of the wine that he had left in his cup.

My mind had gone back to last night when he forced money on me. Was that what he was hinting at? I argued a little with him and tried denying it, but like he said, he always gets his way. I wonder what would happen if he hadn't? What type of man would he be then?

I didn't realize I was staring until he looked over at me and smirked, so I quickly blinked away. "That's quite a preference, Mr. Tomlinson."

"Hmm, yes, indeed," he spoke softly. "I think you should head home and get some sleep, my dear. I have you an escort downstairs."

My eyes bugged out at the last thing. "An escort!? Oh, Mr. Tomlinson, you shouldn't have. I could've gotten a Lyft or an Uber. You didn't have to go out of your way to do such a thing!"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No need to get all flustered and what not. Save your money for better things such as food or bills."

"But Mr. Tomlin-"

"Ah, ah! Don't argue with me. It's a bit late for that," he said, standing up from the couch and then holding his hand out to me.

I looked at his hand and then back up to his face out of confusion. This man is way too nice to me. Is he flirting or just being considerate and a gentleman? It's hard to determine.

"Why do you always look confused?" Louis chuckled. "When I hold my hand out to you, it means to take it, darling."

"I know what it means," I murmured and then took his hand.

Louis led me to the elevator before letting go of my hand and picking up my supplies.

"Oh no, I've got that, Mr. Tomlinson!" I tried to take the box but Louis gave me this look where if I even touched the box he might chew my arm off. "Never mind. Thank you."

Louis smirked knowing that he got his way and allowed me on the elevator first like the gentleman he is.

When we made it to the car that waited downstairs for me, a black range rover, Louis put my belongings inside the car for me.

"Thank you," I murmured and blushed when he placed a gentle hand on my back.

"My pleasure," he responded. "You get some rest now. I'll see you for a few minutes tomorrow when you arrive. I have business meetings tomorrow at four-thirty."

Oh my God, I get to see him in a suit again!

"Oh, okay," was all I said before he assisted me into the vehicle. "Goodnight, Mr. Tomlinson."

"Goodnight, Madison," he replied, sending me a wink and shutting the door once I was in.

I quickly buckled up and sat back against the seat when the driver put the car in drive.

"Tommo's got his eye on a certain lady, I see," the man said from the driver's seat.

"Huh?" I looked up to see him looking at me through the rearview mirror, but he only grinned and focused on how he pulled off the curb and started toward my apartment without another word said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	5. Chapter Four

**Madison  
** _Friday, July 18th_

"Mr. Tomlinson, I'm here!" I called through the penthouse while stepping off the elevator. I looked around in search of the man but couldn't find him from where I was standing. "Mr. Tomlinson?"

"Afternoon, Madison, dear," I heard his soft voice say before I saw him appear from around the corner of the hallway while messing with the tie around his neck. "How was your morning?"

I hummed in thought while my eyes scanned the room. I noticed that Clifford's water bowl was empty. "It was okay. I slept in and then treated myself to some lunch," I said, walking over to the bowl and picking it up. "So it wasn't that eventful."

"That's good," he said and finished up with his tie.

As I filled up the bowl with water in the sink, Clifford trotted over towards me and sat down on his rump to stare up at me.

"Don't worry, buddy. It's coming," I assured him.

"You know," Louis began, "I was just about to do that. Walked in earlier and noticed it dry as a bone and planned to fill it. Thank you for doing that."

"Oh, it's no problem, Mr. Tomlinson," I told him and shut off the water before it overflowed the bowl. But as I picked the bowl up, the water spilled off the side and landed on the floor.

I'll clean that up after I put Clifford's bowl down.

I carried the bowl over to the placement mat on the floor and set the dog's water bowl down on it. "There you go, Cliff."

"I've got a meeting this evening and dinner with a few colleagues, so I won't be back until later this evening," Louis informed me while I crossed the kitchen to grab a paper towel to dry up the water, but when I did, I didn't notice the location where it spilled and ended up slipping.

I swore my life flashed before my eyes as I let out a scream and felt my body moving quickly through the air. Suddenly, I was caught in someone's arms. With my heart beating a mile a minute, I allowed my eyes to open to find Louis holding me.

My face suddenly turned a bright red out of pure embarrassment by my clumsy fall and how close his face was and thinking about how attractive he is. Five o'clock shadow and not a blemish in sight on his perfectly sculpted face. I noticed a smile pulling at his lips before I was scrambling out of his arms because my face was heating up even more.

"Are you alright?" He asked and went for the hand towel that sat on the counter.

I nodded when he looked back at me for a response and shyly tucked my hair behind my ear and watched as he wiped up the water.

After he cleaned it up, he tossed the towel into the sink and looked over at me. He then released a chuckle that made me frown out of confusion.

"Your face is beat red!" He teased, and that alone only made me even more red and was overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting to die in a hole. "Don't be embarrassed, dear! It was just an accident, and accidents do happen."

I looked down at the floor and mumbled an 'I know.' I tried to move my right foot but pain shot through the ankle, forcing a yelp out of me. I think I twisted my ankle.

"Oh no, are you alright?" Louis asked.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm fine!" I tried to assure him but he wasn't buying it when I attempted to walk over to a chair but instead, I limped.

"Love, you've got a limp. You hurt yourself," he said.

I jumped a little when I felt his warm hands touch my arms.

"We can't have you walking on a bad foot. Let's get you in a chair or something." He pulled my right arm around his shoulder and assisted me to the couch. "Let me have a look."

"Mr. Tomlinson, I'm fine. You don't need to-"

Louis sent me a stern expression, so I pursed my lips shut and allowed his to kneel down to check my ankle. "Let me know what hurts." He grabbed my ankle and began to press on certain spots before gently moving it around which made me cry out in pain. "I think you might've sprained your ankle," he said.

"Oh," I mumbled.

"You need to elevate it and ice it down," he told me and stood up.

"Oh no, Mr. Tomlinson, I can't do that! I've got a job to do. I have cleaning and-"

"You need to elevate your foot, Madison or else it'll swell up. We can't have you moving about," he said.

"But I have to do my job, Mr. Tomlinson. I can make do. It's really not that bad, I promise! I can work with it. I need to make money, and if I don't do my job, I'll-"

"Madison!" He barked. "Listen to me for once!"

My mouth slammed shut like a clam and my cheeks heated up.

Louis' face softened before speaking. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a soft voice. "Rest your foot. Don't worry about a thing. You're injured, hun. I would be an asshole if I just let you go on your marry way with a sprained ankle." He then grabbed a decorative pillow from off the couch and propped my foot on top of it on the coffee table. "I'll get you some ice."

I nodded and watched the beautiful man walk away. I still felt sort of shaken up by his angry tone and also felt ashamed for even trying to argue with him. Knowing the type of person he is, he will always get the upper hand.

My ears suddenly caught the sound of him talking to somebody while he rummaged around. It sounded like he was on the phone with his job. I listened closely only to hear 'I won't be able to make it today. Something has come up.'

I turned a little to look back before speaking up. "Oh, Mr. Tomlinson, there is no need to call off from-"

Louis whipped around from where he was standing by the refrigerator with a sandwich bag full of ice and pressed a single finger to his lips with a frown on his face. He walked over, balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear, while wrapping the bag of ice in a dish towel. I watched as he carefully took my shoe off and gently placed the ice on my foot.

My cheeks flushed a bright red as I thought of him taking care of me. Honestly, any woman would be lucky to have him. He sure is a blessing sent by God.

"Alright, thank you...Mhm, bye-bye." Louis hung up the phone before looking at me with his gorgeous blues before speaking. "I'll be taking care of you today."

"But-"

He narrowed his eyes at me, so I pressed my lips shut to play it safe. I need to stop arguing with him or else I'm going to get myself into even more trouble. 

"Don't worry about working today. I'm still paying you for today," he assured me.

I sighed in defeat.

Louis walked around and sat beside me on the couch, causing my heart to race due to his attractiveness. He is so hot, especially in a suit and tie.

"You could've gone to your meeting. I would've been fine alone here," I said in the midst of silence.

He chuckled and crossed his right leg over his left. "Hmm, I don't think so. Knowing you, if I left you would've put yourself to work, and we can't have that. I need to make sure you're resting your foot or else you'll make it worse."

I mean, he's not wrong. If he left I probably would've just gotten up and tried to clean on a sore foot. I haven't known this man long and he already knows me like the back of his hand. It's almost like he observes me or something. Now I'm kind of questioning what that driver said last night. That was quite odd. Am I that certain lady? That's impossible, right?

I looked over at Louis to find him tapping away at his phone and scrolling through stuff. I couldn't help but frown in thought as I stared at him.

"Is there something the matter?" He suddenly asked before looking over at me.

"Oh!" Startled, I quickly scrambled for an answer. "It's nothing, sir."

"I mean, with that look on your face you must've been thinking really hard," he joked and laughed.

I shook my head at the man and leaned my head against the back of the couch. We ended up falling back into silence while he continued to tap away at his phone, mumbling work-related concepts to himself.

That driver couldn't have been talking about me. I'm a maid. What does Louis want to do with a maid? Absolutely nothing. He would probably want a model or beauty icon hanging off his arm. That turns heads. A maid? I'm pretty sure he would lose publicity. But I mean, the man takes care of me and offers me money, not expecting anything in return. Maybe he's just trying to be kind. He probably feels bad for me, that's all.

"What did the driver mean when he told me that you had an eye out for a certain lady?" I blurted out without thought.

Louis nearly snapped his neck by how fast he looked over at me. "He what?" He then laughed. "He can't be talking about me. Impossible!"

"I can only assume 'Tommo' is short for Tomlinson, right?" I questioned.

He laughed once again and shook his head. "Don't worry about what he says. He likes to talk. He'll say anything to spark conversation of some sorts, even if it's drama."

I nodded and looked down at my lap, embarrassed that I had even asked. I felt rejected even though I never even mentioned myself. 

"Did he tell you who?"

I looked over at Louis to find him already looking back at me. I shook my head as my answer. His eyes scanned my face before they moved away to my ankle.

"How is your ankle?" He asked, quickly changing the subject. 

I cleared my throat and squirmed a bit in my seat from how awkward I felt. "It hurts," I mumbled.

"Would you like something to eat or even to drink? It would help take your mind off the pain," he offered.

"No, thanks. I'll be okay," I assured him.

Louis huffed before snatching up the remote to the television, and then turning it on. "Is there anything you would like to watch?"

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'll probably rest my eyes for a bit," I said.

Louis hummed and flipped through the channels. He eventually found a movie to watch and tossed the remote off to the side. It was some romantic comedy. I only watched a few minutes of it because I was drifting off to sleep.

•••

My eyes fluttered open, my eyelids feeling weighted and tired. I moved my foot a little only for pain to shoot through it. I looked over at the television to find a different movie on. It was an old horror movie. I then realized I was leaning on Louis' shoulder when he cleared his throat. I sat still, my eyes drifting downward to find him texting somebody. At the top the name read 'Brendan Fisher'.

I read the conversation as Louis typed. They're talking about me!

_'Why aren't you coming in today?'_

**'Have something to take care of.'**

_'You mean someone? Is it that girl lol.'_

**'None of your business.'**

_'So it is that girl?'_

**'If it makes your day, yes.'**

_'Oohh, Tommo! What're you two up to?'_

**'She's asleep.'**

_'Well, that's boring.'_

**'Boring? I'm quite enjoying it if I do say so myself. Haven't seen the woman relaxed before, so it's quite the accomplishment.'**

Are you serious? That's just-I mean, I guess he's not wrong. Why does he know me so well!?

_'Lol alright, Tommo. I've got to go. I'll have the paperwork on your desk by tomorrow.'_

Louis clicked his phone off and placed it on the coffee table, but before he could look over at me, I squeezed my eyes shut and then pretended I was just waking up, giving out a yawn and reaching my arms up.

He chuckled, sending me a pearly-white smile.

"Sorry," I apologized for sleeping on his shoulder.

"It's alright," he said.

"What time is it?" I shifted a little in my seat to sit up a little.

"Five-twenty-three," he told me. I slept for so long! "Are you hungry? I can buy some take-out for dinner."

"Oh, that's alright, I'll be okay. I'll eat when I get home." I looked over at him to find him staring at me with a frown.

Louis snorted and shook his head. "I don't understand you sometimes. You deny me of every offer that I give you. Why are you so damn difficult?"

My cheeks heated up a deep red as I shrugged in response.

"Why don't you let me offer you things without a fight?" He narrowed his eyes at me when I didn't respond. "You haven't eaten anything since you've been here. I would like you to eat something, Madison."

"I don't know, Mr. Tomlinson. I'm sorry, sir," I murmured.

Louis sighed and stood up from the couch, snatching his cellphone from off the coffee table. "I'll order the take-out."

•••

I quietly ate my food as Louis was sat next to me doing the same while watching some Netflix series on the television. I picked at the bread on my burger, trying to think of something to say to him without pissing him off. I've made him angry about two or three times today and I'm really not trying for another time.

"Thanks for dinner, Mr. Tomlinson. Well, thanks for everything you've done for me." I peeked over at him just as he looked at me.

"Oh, you're welcome, darling. No need to thank me," he said and smiled. "You're welcome to stay the night. I really don't want you walking on your foot."

I nodded just to make him happy. He doesn't like to be told no, obviously.

"You can use the guest bedroom. I'll take care of you until you're able to walk on it," he said, leaning forward to set his half-eaten food down on the coffee table.

"Okay, thank you," I mumbled. "What about my clothes?"

"I can let you wear my clothes, but if you're uncomfortable with that I can have someone grab some clothes from your apartment. It's up to you. I'll wash your uniform," he said.

I don't want to make him have someone get me my clothes. I feel that may be a tad bit rude or is that just me? Wearing his clothes isn't such a bad thing, I think. Well, maybe it's a little weird since I'm his maid. His maid wearing his clothes to bed. Okay, just saying that made it sound weird. Oh well, I guess...

"Um...I can just wear your clothes." I couldn't look him in the face saying it, so I just looked out the window watching the rain soak New York.

Louis hummed and leaned back against the couch. "Whatever is fine. I have work in the morning but I'll be back around noon, so you are welcome to anything in the penthouse."

I looked over at him with a grin. "Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson."

•••

"Okay, you can try this on. It might be a bit big on you since you're small, but it'll be comfy," Louis said as he handed me a white tee shirt and gray sweatpants.

I limped off into the guest bathroom and sat down on the lid of the toilet so I'm not standing on my injured foot. I slipped my uniform off and tossed it to the side while grabbing the tee shirt first, slipping that on, and then the sweatpants. I had to pull the draw strings real tight in the sweatpants so they wouldn't fall down. That would definitely be something...

I stood up from the toilet seat and opened the door. Louis sat on the edge of the bed and he looked up at me. I saw something in his eyes but couldn't figure out exactly what it was. Maybe lust?

"Wonderful! I already pulled the blankets down for you," he said, standing up from the bed and walking over to assist me. "If you need anything, just call for me. I'm right next door, so I'll hear you."

I nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed after Louis helped me there. "Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson."

He hummed and smiled. "Go ahead and get some sleep, love."

I had to force back the smile that was trying to surface when he called me 'love' because it sounded so good with his thick accent.

I shifted back into the bed so I could swing my legs over and in the bed, pulling the sheets up to my chin. I watched as Louis walked over to the door before turning to me.

"Goodnight," he said and turned the light off.

"Goodnight," I responded.

He then left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

•••

I woke up to the sound of the bedroom door opening, but I kept my eyes shut, just wanting to fall back to sleep, but then I heard shuffling. I heard a soft chuckle and then warm fingers brushing my hair away from my face.

Did he just-

"Madison, it's time to get up."

I allowed my eyes to flutter open before looking up to find Louis standing in front of me wearing a suit and tie with a pair of ray bans hanging from the pec pocket of his suit.

"It's past noon," he told me with a grin.

"Oh my God, really!?" I was immediately scrambling to get up. "I am so sorry! I don't usually do this."

I stood up from the bed but noticed Louis' eyes who looked down at the white sheets. I turned to look at what he was looking at and nearly fainted at the sight. A large blood spot sat right in the middle of the sheets.

I swear I was whiter than a sheet when I turned to Louis. "I-I didn't know I would—I didn't-"

"Shh," He hushed me and ushered me into the bathroom. "There's some toiletries underneath the sink. Go ahead and get a warm shower and clean yourself up. Just let me know when you're in the shower and leave your clothes on the sink. I'll bring you fresh clothes."

I felt like crying at how sweet and understanding he was being towards me. I just bled all over his clothes and bedsheets. I am such an embarrassment to myself!

I shut the door and limped over to the sink, holding onto it while I undressed and put the clothes on the sink for Louis to grab. I quickly turned the shower on and made sure the temperature was right. Once I was undressed and in the shower, I called to Louis. "Um, Mr. Tomlinson, sir! You can come in!"

I heard the door open, some shuffling, and then the door shut, meaning he grabbed my clothes and left some fresh ones.

Oh God, I can't believe I bled through like that. That is so fucking embarrassing! It's probably all over the mattress and what not. Of course I had to start my period while staying at a million dollar penthouse. Of fucking course!

I started to cry out of embarrassment and the thought of how sweet he is. He is such a gentleman. How can someone be so sweet? His heart is really made out of gold. I thought for sure he was going to kick me out or something. Fuck Mother Nature. She just embarrassed me in front of this very attractive man.

When I finished cleaning up in the shower, I got out, quickly dried myself off, and slipped on the new clothes. Instead of my own underwear that are now ruined, I have to wear a pair of Louis' briefs. I made sure I put a tampon in and slipped on the fresh clothes. Limping out of the room, I noticed that the bed was stripped and he had a bottle of peroxide sitting on the side table. There wasn't a blood spot on the mattress, so I'm guessing he cleaned it with the peroxide.

Louis entered the bedroom with a set of new sheets but frowned when he saw me. "Have you been crying?"

I fish-mouthed for an answer. I don't want him to worry about me. "No, I-I just got a little soap in my eyes. I'm f-fine!"

I could tell he wasn't buying it when he still held that look of concern as he set the sheets down on the bare mattress and walked over to me. "Have a seat, darling."

I sat down on the bed with him.

"Don't be embarrassed, okay? It happens. I have sisters, so this isn't the first time for this bed." He let out a soft chuckle and rubbed my back with his hand. "You didn't know this would happen, so it's nothing you could've controlled. Anyway, it's all cleaned up. No need to cry over it."

I laughed at myself and shook my head. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Louis pulled me into a side-hug. "Are you alright, now?"

I nodded, my stomach exploding with a million butterflies from his touch.

He hummed and stood up, holding his hand out to me. I peered up at him but took his hand and he helped me from the bed. "Let's get you something to eat." He led me out of the bedroom and out to the living room, sitting me down on the couch. "I've already got the blood out of the clothes, they're in the wash right now. Nothing that a little soak in peroxide can't do," he said as he walked into the kitchen. "It's noon, so I don't know if you would like breakfast or lunch, maybe both?"

"Lunch please." I propped my foot on top of a pillow and leaned my head back against the couch.

"How about a tomato basil grilled cheese?" He suggested, and my God, that sounded really good.

"I wouldn't mind that," I said and looked over to find him pulling out the stuff to make me my sandwich.

"Whatever you'd like, Your Highness," he joked. 

"I can't help that I'm injured," I pouted.

Louis chuckled. "I know, darling. I'm just teasing you."

Oh my God, the way he says 'darling' is so attractive. If I could record him saying 'darling' and put it on repeat, I definitely would. Gosh, if only I had a chance with a man like him. Maybe if we were on the same economic status then maybe, but I'm a maid.

After a few long minutes, Louis appeared in front of me with a plate that had my sandwich on it. "Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson." I took the plate from him and sat it in my lap. "It looks delicious."

"I hope it tastes the way it looks then," he laughed and sat down beside me, hooking his arm over the couch and propping his feet up on the ottoman. I laughed softly before taking the sandwich into my hands and taking a bite. It didn't taste bad at all.

"Oh, Mr. Tomlinson," I began and hummed in delight, "this is really good."

Louis grinned and turned his head to look at me. "I'm glad you like it."

I suddenly began to feel cramps that felt like I was being stabbed. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my stomach.

"Everything alright?"

I nodded. "Just cramps."

Louis got up from the couch and disappeared which had me wondering where he went. I felt like curling up into a ball to try and subside the pain. I heard something close and buttons being pushed, and after a minute, Louis was handing me a heat pack.

"It'll help relax your muscles," he said.

I took the heat pack and placed it on my lower abdomen. I was suddenly filled with emotion and began to cry. "Why are y-you so nice to me?"

Louis looked confused for half a second but then he sat next to me, pulling me into his arms. I cried into his expensive blazer, and I know, it's extremely unprofessional. My boss shouldn't be taking care of me. I'm suppose to be working for him to get paid. God, I'm pathetic!

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't b-be crying in front of you like this! I'm suppose to be working for you but instead I'm here with a sprained foot and am an emotional wreck, crying like a baby. I am truly s-sorry, sir!" I hiccuped and then continued to cry. "I am the w-worst employee! This is h-highly unprofessional of me to be d-doing this and yet, here I am!"

"Madison, sweetheart, relax," he spoke softly, rubbing my back. "You're getting yourself worked up over nothing."

I tried to breathe in but it stuttered. "I-I know and I'm sorry, sir. I don't m-mean to get upset like this in front of y-you. I'm j-just going through some things lately and I-I—"

"Shh," Louis hushed me. "Breathe, sweetheart."

I did as he told me to and breathed in and out at a slow pace. He pulled away to look me in my face to make sure I was okay and he smiled when he saw that I was.

"I need to go home," I told him and that smile was immediately wiped away.

"Why?" He asked. "I mean, you are very welcome to stay here. I really don't mind." His tone sounded different, almost sounding desperate.

"I just need to go home. I can't be staying in your home like this. It's unprofessional. Anyway, I'm just the maid. I'm here to clean and earn money, not allow my boss to take care of me and let me stay in his million dollar penthouse," I explained.

"Madison, it's really not a—"

"Mr. Tomlinson!" I barked, and he seemed quite taken back by the change in my tone. He really doesn't like it when things don't go his way. "I want to go home and heal. I don't want my boss taking care of me like this. I'm a maid, not your girlfriend, wife, family, or something like that. I'm an employee."

Louis glowered, which had my heart racing at max speed. I basically just yelled at him not even a minute ago and I'm not allowing him to get his way. "Wife or girlfriend!? I respect you, that's why I want to help. This is all out of respect! So I'd pipe down on the whole wife and girlfriend thing!"

Oh God, I just embarrassed myself even more! I just need to fucking shut the hell up! He's yelled at me, so I'm probably going to get upset again because I'm an emotional wreck.

"Yes, sir," I squeaked out and quickly looked away from him so he wouldn't see the fresh tears pooling in my eyes again.

Louis sighed and stood up from the couch. "I'm sorry I yelled." He walked away, leaving me alone on the couch.

I shook my head and plopped it down into my hands, reflecting on what had just happened. I didn't mean to refer myself as his wife or girlfriend. I meant that he's taking care of me as if I was and that—I am such a failure at life right now.

I heard Louis enter the room and he had a bag with my stuff in it. "If you want to leave, feel free. I'm not stopping you. I've bagged up your stuff. I can take you home if you'd like."

I think it's a good idea that I go home. I've made him angry enough.

I nodded, taking the bag from him. "I'll heal at home and be back with a doctors note." I stood up, careful not to put too much pressure on my foot. "No need to take me home. I'll have a Lyft come pick me up."

"I'm taking you home."

And that's final. He's relentless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	6. Chapter Five

**Madison  
** _Tuesday, July 22nd_

Alright, Madison, just walk in and hand him the doctors note, then just get right to work after and don't say anything else to him. Be polite. If he says something, answer respectfully and just carry on. You have a job to do and that's it.

I huffed and pressed the button for the elevator. Once it arrived, I grabbed my stuff from off the floor and carried it on the elevator, balancing it on one knee a hand so I could stick the key into the keyhole. The light blinked on and the doors slid shut before ascending me up to the penthouse. I looked around for any sight of him once the doors opened, but I only found Clifford lying in the middle of the living room.

"Mr. Tomlinson?" I called, stepping off the elevator.

No response.

Guess he's off to work. At least I don't have to face the awkwardness when I hand him my doctors note. I kind of feel bad for what happened last Saturday. I shouldn't have opened my big gob. All he wanted to do was help. It just frustrates me that I let him get his way. I wanted to get my way that time but I screwed things up for us both. He was just trying to be a gentleman, that's all.

I sighed as I smacked the doctors note down onto the kitchen counter. "You're the true MVP, Madison," I grumbled to myself before tending to my services.

I scanned each room from where I was standing and everything was a complete and utter mess. It's only been two days and the place looks like a hoard of bulls ran through here. This is the worst I've seen his place look since I've been working here.

What if he made the place a wreck on purpose before heading to work so it leaves me a ton of work to do? Is this punishment for what I said Saturday?

Lord, Madison. You're thinking way too much into things. He's not this big asshole. I swear the man would give me a kidney if I asked for it.

Before disinfectants and after pulling on a clean pair of gloves, I made sure the tables were cleared and everything was put back in its rightful home before grabbing the disinfectants from my box of supplies and sprayed everything down in the living room and kitchen. I then ventured into the bathrooms, organizing them, picking up dirty towels, and put cleaner in the toilets and disinfectants in the sink and shower.

Next was the bedrooms since the sheets haven't been changed in a few days. The guest bedroom wasn't too bad since no one sleeps in here except when I stayed Friday night. The bed is still made up, so I wiped everything down of its dust and maybe bacteria. The comforter on the bed had a few wrinkles in them, but I smoothed them out.

I went out into the main room to grab a broom and cane back into the guest bedroom to sweep the bathroom and bedroom, swiping the dirt out into the hallway to make vacuuming easier. I propped the broom in a corner of the hallway and went to Louis' room, opening the door, but I immediately paused.

He's home.

Louis was fast asleep in his bed with one hand tucked underneath his head and the other resting on his sheet-covered stomach. I noticed a bottle of NyQuil sitting on the side table with a few tissues and an empty mug sitting beside it. Is he sick?

I quietly snuck in and grabbed the small trashcan that sat in the right corner of the room and brushed the tissues into the trash. I kept looking over at him to make sure I didn't wake him. His face had a bit of a flush to it, and not the good kind either. I quietly pulled the glove off my right hand and lightly pressed the back of my hand against his cheeks and forehead. He's a little too warm. It seems to me that he's running a low-grade fever.

I pulled away from him and slipped my glove back on before leaving the room, gently and quietly shutting the door behind me. I felt like groaning dramatically because damn, he's home. I'm going to have to face him today.

After about two hours of cleaning, I heard a door open and feet walking down the hallway and eventually entering the main room. I quickly looked to see Louis awake, his hair in a perfect mess, black joggers hanging off his hips, and shirtless. He had his hands tucked into the pockets of his joggers as he padded across the floor.

I was sweeping the floors when he walked by. "Didn't think you would be home," I said amongst the silence.

"I thought the same, but my immune system had other plans," he said, leaning against the kitchen island with crossed arms. "I've been sick since Sunday, so be sure to wash your hands. I wouldn't want you to catch what I've got."

I nodded and continued to sweep as it went silent. I could feel his eyes on me, which was a bit uncomfortable and awkward for me. I'm also feeling a bit more guilty for what I said a few days ago.

"Hey, look at me," Louis spoke softly. I didn't want to but I turned to him. "I'm sorry for being an asshole the other day. I misunderstood what you said and snapped before you could explain."

"It's okay," I murmured, continuing my sweeping job. I'm practically done with the floors but I really want to avoid his eyes.

"It's not, so don't say it is," he said.

I kept silent.

"How's your ankle?" He asked.

"It's fine...I brought my doctors note. It's behind you," I said, not daring to even look up at him.

He hummed, walking into the kitchen to fill a glass pot up with water and setting the pot on the stove and turning the electric burner on to begin boiling the water.

It was silent again, and damn this silence and awkwardness. I can't handle it, but I don't want to say anything else that might be dumb or something he could misunderstand because I'm horrible with my words.

"Fuck," Louis mumbled under his breath. He passed by me with a hand pressed to his head. "Me head's pounding." He plopped down into his recliner and he had this disgruntled look on his face, which looked pretty cute. He kind of reminds me of a disgruntled kitten, only he can transform into a lion anytime.

I set the broom off to the side and walked around the couch to the coffee table to straighten up the remotes and coasters. I was standing directly in front of Louis when an idea came to mind. I can feel his eyes on me. God, I can't believe I'm doing this...

I 'accidentally' dropped the remote to the television and it landed on the rug below, so I bent down to pick it up. Once I had the remote, I straightened up and set the remote down next to the other remote that belonged to a fire place.

I moved away and turned to fix the pillows on the couch, and I could see Louis looking me up and down from out of my peripheral before he was adjusting himself in his seat.

"Lottie is having a launch party for her new line of makeup and she wants to hold it here in the penthouse," Louis began.

"Okay," I said.

"It's in three days," he added.

"What needs to be cleaned? I can do a deep clean of the house," I said.

"Don't worry about that right now," he said, which left me confused. What does he mean? I have to have the place spotless before the party! "Would you like to join me at this party?"

Wait, did he just invite me to—

"Um," I began as I grabbed a rag from off the entertainment center, "I probably shouldn't..." I wiped down a few other things to make sure there wasn't a speck of dust left.

"Come on, Madison," he said. "Have a few drinks with me and hang out. I would be disappointed if you didn't."

I bit my lip in thought. "But you're my boss. Wouldn't that be weird?"

"Then just pretend I'm not," he said and I heard him stand up from the recliner. I turned to find him wandering into the kitchen.

I laughed and shook my head. "That's easy for you to say. Easier said than done, Mr. Tomlinson."

He chuckled, grabbing a mug from out of the cupboard and pouring steaming hot water into it before tossing a tea bag in after it. "Is that a yes?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I guess. What do I wear for this occasion, anyway?"

Louis walked back to his recliner and sat down. "Funny you're asking that since you've been to parties before, but that's none of my business." He then took a sip of his tea with a bit of a smirk playing on his lips.

I squinted my eyes at him. "Rude."

"Wear a black cocktail dress," he said, leaning forward to set his mug down on the coffee table, but not forgetting to place a coaster underneath it.

"Is there a reason for the specific type and color of the dress?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Just for my eyes. You would look absolutely stunning."

I felt my cheeks heat up and I'm sure it's obvious when he grinned. "Okay, well, I guess I'll be shopping tomorrow morning."

He hummed. "Take a break with me."

"B-But I still have laundry to do," I said but I already knew he wasn't going to take no for an answer, especially when he narrowed his eyes at me, which had me taking a seat on the couch.

Louis picked his tea back up and took a sip. The sight was definitely something I was enjoying. He's shirtless, relaxed, and drinking a hot cup of tea with the sunlight shining perfectly through the windows to shine against his tan skin. I kind of just want to sit in his lap as he drinks his tea and maybe even kiss him a little...

Curse my hormones. My period is doing me wrong.

"I'll give you the money for the dress. Just choose one and I'll pay for it, as well as the shoes and whatever else you'd like," Louis said.

I frowned. "Oh no, I've got it. It's fine."

"I'll pay for it," he said with a bit more dominance in his voice. "I requested the dress, so it's only fair that I pay for it."

I honestly felt like crying because I can never win with this man. He gets his way and only his way. If he doesn't get his way, all hell breaks loose. I can't afford that. The other day was enough.

Louis sipped at his tea with a proud smirk on his face because he knows he can get his way.

"You know," I began, "just because I'm struggling with money doesn't mean I need a sugar daddy."

Louis chortled and looked down at his cup. "So that's what you think of me?"

"Well, you're a lot older and willingly give me money. I think you qualify," I said.

He cleared his throat and brought his mug to his lips at the same time he crossed his leg over the other. "Didn't think helping those who are struggling was a crime. I want to help you. I would kick myself in the ass over and over if I didn't because that's just the type of person that I am. If I see someone struggling, my first reaction is to help that person. Just because I'm 'loaded' doesn't mean I'm an asshole, you know. I have a heart and it feels. But that's not the only reason, though." He sipped his tea.

I gave him a look that obviously showed that I was confused.

"I think of you as a friend, not so much of an employee," he said genuinely.

I smiled softly. "Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson. I appreciate your help."

We fell silent and I decided to stare out of the windows, but Louis just kept looking at me, almost like he was admiring me.

You know, I'm going to be extremely honest here. Sugar daddy, it has a nice ring to it. He's an attractive man that's twelve years older than me and is very rich. He doesn't seem as old as he is. He actually looks quite young for his age, which makes me wonder if this man is capable of aging. I'm also wondering if this man is actually interested in me.

I looked over to find Louis still watching me, and when he caught my attention, he gave me this soft smile that made my stomach burst with butterflies. He is too charming and handsome for me. There's a lucky woman out there that's going to enjoy his company, and sadly, that lucky woman probably won't be me. He's too good for me. Way too good for me.

"What's it take for a woman like you to be so beautiful?" He asked, and let me tell you, the butterflies are definitely flapping their wings! I felt like running away. This man is too much for me.

"Oh, Mr. Tomlinson," I said, blushing and nervously tucking the loose strands of my hair behind my ear. "I think the cold medicine has done something to your brain."

He laughed, amused by my words. "You don't believe you're beautiful?"

I bit my lip, not wanting to say anything more. I really don't want to answer his question because I'm sure he would be disappointed.

When he didn't get a response, he frowned. "I'll take that as a no?" His eyes searched my face for some type of answer. "I'll make you believe it."

Huh?

"Mr. Tomlinson, you're my boss," I said.

"Then just pretend that I'm not," he said and grinned.

I sighed and shook my head at the older man. "I really can't."

He hummed in thought. "I'll change your mind."

"Of course you will." I rolled my eyes and looked out at the New York view.

"Yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"You always get your way. You're stubborn and determined," I said.

He chuckled. "That I am."

"Well," I began as I stood up from the couch, "I've got a job to complete," and I moved to walk by him, "so my little break is ov—ah!" I was gripped and tugged into Louis' lap. "Mr. Tomlinson!"

He propped his chin on my shoulder, his lips only centimeters away from my ear. "Just you wait, darling," he began to whisper, which sent goosebumps along my skin, "I always get my way. There's no other way around it."

I gulped and tried to wriggle out of his grip, but of course, to no avail. His grip was too strong.

"And the fact that you're trying to get away makes me laugh because I know how much you were yearning for this attention. I could tell from here," he continued on.

I felt a certain way that I haven't felt in a long time since my last relationship, which was high school, so it's been quite some time. I wanted Louis.

"I am a very persuasive man, so the thought of me being your boss isn't going to matter to either of us. Trust me," he whispered.

I wanted to comply to my hormones, but I forced myself not to. You can't do that, Madison. He is your boss. The world won't view it right. He's a very well known man, Top A lister and I definitely don't want to intrude on his publicity. Either it's going to ruin him or me, or even maybe both of us at the same time. I'd rather not.

"It may not matter to us but it's going to matter to someone," I mumbled.

The grip Louis had around me softened and he suddenly felt so gentle. "It can be our own little secret," he said and I felt his nose touch my cheek.

Our own little secret? Sounds kind of risky. I'm not so sure if I want to have secrets because that means I can't tell anyone I know. But I mean, people will find out eventually. They'll catch Louis and I doing something together, find out that I'm his personal maid and he's my boss, and then shit is going to hit the fan. It's too much drama that I don't want to deal with.

I shook my head. "People will find out. Secrets don't stay secrets for too long. They get out eventually, and I'm not really sure if I want to deal with the drama afterwards. Maybe if I wasn't your employee I would agree, but I don't think I can do it as long as I'm working for you."

"That's understandable," he said and I saw him smile out of my peripheral. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Thank you," I said. "May I get back to work so I can finish up? I still have your room to clean."

"Of course," he said and removed his arms from around me. I stood up and smoothed out my uniform. I took one look at him and regretted my decision. He's so attractive. He looks like a literal prince and I just turned him down. Idiot, idiot, idiot! I'm too scared to take it back.

I awkwardly walked away with his eyes following me. I scurried off to his room and slammed the door shut, pressing my back against it and slowly sliding down to put my face in my hands. The wealthiest and most attractive man actually wanted something with me and I turned him down. But honestly, I don't want to ruin anything for him. I'm a maid and he's a CEO for a bank. I can already see myself getting hate from the public and probably other beautiful women that have their wishful dreams of being with Louis.

God, I can just imagine waking up in a comfortable bed that actually doesn't kill my back and opening my eyes to the most beautiful man on this planet and just being able to kiss him. I could kiss him when I want or where I want. I can imagine he gives the most softest kisses. 

I whined and tossed my head back against the door. "I'm an idiot," I said to myself and huffed.

•••

"Alright, Mr. Tomlinson, I'm off," I said as I gathered up all of my supplies. "Thanks for dinner."

"Oh, you are more than welcome, Madison," he said, approaching me. He was wearing a shirt now, which was just a plain white tee shirt. He even combed his hair out and I must say, he looks really good with a fringe. It's pretty cute how his hair slightly curls up at the ends. The hairstyle makes him look like he's in his early twenties or late teens.

"I hope you feel better," I said and smiled.

"I'm feeling better already, thank you," he replied politely before he was handing me something. I looked down to see him holding out a black credit card with 'LT Bank' inscribed on it in silver.

"Uhh," I began as I hesitantly took the card from him, "what's this?"

"My credit card. Make sure you don't lose it," he said.

"Thank you," I murmured and tucked it into my bag before picking up my box of supplies.

"No need to thank me, love," he said, moving to press the button on the elevator for me. "And don't worry about the prices, alright?"

I blushed and boarded the elevator once it had arrived, but then Louis stepped on too.

"Hand me the box," he ordered. "I'll walk you out."

I handed over the box of supplies and he took it from me before pressing the button that had an arrow pointing down. We off the elevator when it arrived to the lobby and he carried my stuff to the Lyft, setting it in the backseat for me.

"There you are, love," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Louis," I said. I felt his hand touch my lower back as I moved to sit in the car. "See you tomorrow."

He shut the door once I was in and I looked out the window to see a kind smile on his lips and he gave me a small wave, backing away as the car moved.

"Is that your boyfriend?" The female driver asked me.

"No, I'm just his maid," I said, awkwardly staring out the window.

"Wow! He's very attractive and he seems quite touchy with you," she said.

"Oh no, it's not like that," I said and chuckled.

She hummed in suspicion. "Does _he_ think that?"

I sighed and shook my head. He doesn't, obviously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	7. Chapter Six

**Madison  
** _Friday, July 25th_

I turned in front of the mirror, checking out every angle of my body in the black cocktail dress. I personally think it's a little much even though it's kind of a basic dress. It just has the simple straps going over the shoulders and fits right to my figure. It shows off quite a bit of leg and cleavage, which I'm not use to. It reaches about three or four inches above my knees. I fluffed my hair that I decided to keep down and brushed it off my shoulders. And I have to say, my makeup looks pretty good—a brown smokey eye and a burgundy matte lipstick. I'm also wearing silver hooped earrings to top it off.

I look down at my shoes, which are black ankle strap sandal heels. They're not the most comfortable shoes but they're not the worst shoes in the world. They fit with the dress, so why not, right? I still feel bad for allowing Louis to pay for my outfit. I'll make it up to him.

I grabbed my black leather clutch from off my bed along with my phone and left my dingy apartment to catch my Lyft that waited out front of the complex for me. I noticed that the sky was getting darker the later it went into the evening, the time nearing eight o'clock. Louis told me to be there at eight even though the party started at seven-thirty. I don't know why, but it's really not that big of a deal.

I climbed into the back of the Lyft and buckled myself in before the driver began towards Louis' place. I'm sure there are going to be quite a few well-known people at this party.

I arrived at the magnificent building and thanked the driver as I got out of the car. I shut the door and turned to find a couple walking in wearing classy outfits that I'm sure costs hundreds of dollars. I walked in behind them. There was a man with a list in the lobby and he took the couples names before nodding as an 'okay, you can go' and allowed them on the elevator. I was up next.

"Name," the man ordered.

"Madison Quinn," I said.

I watched as his eyes fell down the list before spotting my name. He nodded and I boarded the elevator with the couple.

We made it to the proper floor of the penthouse and stepped off the elevator. I allowed the couple off first, the man allowing his lady off first. I followed close behind, walking in behind the couple. I looked around at the sea of people that stood around in classy clothing with drinks in their hands, chatting it up.

I searched for Louis with just my eyes, not wanting to get lost among the many people. I eventually spotted him to my right near the large windows talking to another fairly attractive man. Louis had his right hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers while the other hand held a glass of champagne, nodding his head every so often as the other man spoke to him. Louis wore a navy blue blazer with a black handkerchief in the right pocket, a white button-up underneath, black trousers, and black dress shoes. His hair was somewhat pulled away from his forehead but brushed to the left side of his head to make some kind of quiff but his fringe was curled. He also had some facial hair grown in to sculpt and contour his perfect face. I'd expect him to have women hanging off his arms but oddly enough, there wasn't. Not even one.

His eyes caught sight of me but he took a double take when he realized it was me and beckoned me over. I gladly walked over and he immediately wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in to him. I looked up at the man in front of us noticing that he was giving me a once over.

"Madison, meet the representative of my company, Nicholas Carter. And Nicholas, meet my uh—my girlfriend, Madison Quinn," he introduced us to each other, but I was taken back when he called me his girlfriend. He's jealous and doesn't want Nicholas having eyes for me.

Nicholas reached his hand out to me, which I gladly took. "It's nice to meet you, Madison," he said politely, and he had an Australian accent.

"You too," I responded and pulled away.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone and I'm going to grab some more champagne," Nicholas said and nodded his head to us both before leaving.

"Girlfriend? What the hell?" I asked.

"I'm not going to allow another man to take what I want," he said in a low voice so only I could hear him. Just his words alone made me feel different. Almost...hot.

I honestly didn't know what to say, and I'm sure he liked that because he was grinning like he was proud of something.

"Let's get you a drink, yeah?" He said and led me to the island counter. I don't really drink so...this should be interesting.

Louis poured me a drink of something I don't know and handed me the cup. I hesitantly took a sip of whatever he gave me, cringing at the bitterness and how it burned my throat. I looked down into the cup only to find that the liquid was clear. Maybe vodka? It takes like isopropyl. Disgusting.

Louis noticed my reaction and chuckled as he poured himself the same drink. "Not much of a drinker, huh?"

I shook my head.

He hummed and placed a gentle hand on my lower back. "That's alright." He led me through the people as I spotted a few celebrities. God, I look so out of place. Everyone is wealthy and well-known while I'm the maid that cleans this damn penthouse. I'll be cleaning up after all of them tomorrow.

Louis had taken me to see Lottie, and as soon as she spotted me, her eyes lit up and she squealed with excitement. "Oh my god, hey!" She wrapped her arms around me tight and squeezed me. "You look gorgeous! But you always look gorgeous. I'm so glad you're here!"

I chuckled. "Congratulations on your new launch."

"Aawwee, thank you!" Lottie said. "Oh! You have to meet Tommy, my husband!" She grabbed my wrist and pulled me over to a man that had dark hair and blue eyes.

"Tommy, this is Madison. Madison, Tommy. He's my husband," she said.

"Hi," I said and shook his hand and he nodded his head to me in response.

I was beginning to feel a little bit uncomfortable with the amount of people around me. It feels so overwhelming with how many people are in this huge penthouse, it's ridiculous. I looked around and nearly panicked when I couldn't find Lottie or Louis as I was being sucked into the sea, but then I felt a comforting hand on my back. I turned and found Louis behind me. I let out a sigh of relief. He pulled me out of the sea of people and over to a spot where there was barely anybody around.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I shrugged. "It's been a while since I've been to a party."

He hummed and nodded in understanding, rubbing my arms up and down in order to calm and comfort me. "At any point do you feel uncomfortable, you let me know and I'll take care you."

I nodded in response.

I took a few breaths to calm down before I was ready to go back to the party. Louis and I were walking towards Lottie when I looked to my left to see a few women looking me up and down in what seemed like disgust and they held their cups of alcohol close to them and sniggered. I moved close to Louis for comfort, which he granted me as his arm wrapped around my waist.

I looked back to see them whispering and looking at me before they were all laughing like witches. I took a huge swig of my beverage and kept walking along with Louis until my cup was empty and I was ready for a second round.

"I'm going to get another drink," I told Louis and he nodded before I was off to the kitchen. I made it to the island counter successfully and grabbed the same bottle that Louis had grabbed from earlier and poured myself another drink.

"So you and Louis, huh?"

I quickly look up to see one of the women that I had seen in the small group and she was leaning against the opposite side of the counter with a grin on her face. I wanted to smack it off. She had dirty blonde hair with striking blue eyes with professionally done makeup on. Her dress was a classy royal blue velvet cocktail dress.

I laugh nervously and set the bottle down. "Yeah, I guess."

She snorted. "You guess?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. 

"I'm just trying to figure out why he would choose a woman like you? You look like you don't give much," she said.

I was quite taken back by her words. Why so brutal? I've done absolutely nothing to this woman and she comes over here to harass me. Are you kidding me?

"Anyway, I'm Chelsea." She held her hand out to me but I just looked at it. There is no way in hell that I'm shaking her hand. She must be crazy to think that I would. "Oh, you're a bitch as well. Figures."

"Leave me alone," I said. "You're just jealous."

She snorts and laughs. " _Jealous?_ Jealous of _what?_ A rat like you? I don't think so, hun."

Don't start anything, Madison. Keep your cool.

"A rat. That's what I am," I mumbled, swishing my drink in my cup. "I pray for bitches like you. Have a great rest of your night, Chelsea."

Right before I could walk away, the woman gasped and then I felt cold liquid splashing against the back of my head and back. I stopped and stood there for a second to process the situation before slowly turning to the woman who was holding a now empty cup with her nostrils flaring out of anger.

People were now watching to see this all go down.

"Look at the wet rat now! Go back to the New York sewers where you came from, whore!" Chelsea screamed.

I am so close to putting this bitch five feet under.

I slammed my cup down on the table. "I'm not giving you what you want, so you can fuck off." I turned to walk away but then I was being attacked from behind. I screamed when she gripped my hair and pulled me straight to the floor.

"You piece of shit!" Chelsea hollered and pulled at my hair.

People were rushing over to pull Chelsea away and began to yell at her.

"Let me go!" I screamed and was able to reach around to clobber her right in the jaw. She released me and fell to the floor. I tried to scramble away but then I felt the weight of someone else on top of me, grabbing at my hair and screaming at me. "Stop! Please! Get off of me!" I began to cry.

I saw another girl coming towards me, which she was familiar from the group. I was being jumped by a bunch of women. The third girl landed her fist right against the side of my jaw, splitting my lip. I saw Chelsea stand back up and she was heading right towards me but someone swooped in and grabbed her. I was suddenly released by the pressure of the two women that were on top of me and I was scrambling to my feet when I fell into someone's arms, which were Louis'. My heart was pounding hard against my chest and I was trembling with fear. Louis held me close and let me stuff my face into his chest.

"What the fuck happened here!?" Louis' voice boomed throughout the silent room, which scared me a little.

Silence.

"She called me a bitch!" Chelsea then called out.

A random woman scoffed. "After you called her a bitch and a rat? I'd call you a bitch too."

Louis' heart rate picked up a bit and I knew he was getting angry. "Get out! All three of you! Get out of my fucking house!" He demanded.

I heard a gasp that sounded like Chelsea. "B-But Louis!"

"Get the fuck out!" Louis growled. "Especially you, Chelsea! Get. Out!"

The only sound that could be heard was their heals clicking against the floor as they left. I was bombarded by the guests concerns as soon as my attackers were gone.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" I heard Lottie's voice and her hand touched my back. "You took a pretty brutal hit to the jaw."

"Is she okay?"

"Are you alright?"

"She's fine. Move out of the way." Louis' arms tightened around me before he was pulling me away from the party. He took me to his bedroom and opened the door, ushering me in. "Have a seat."

I sat on the bed in a heap of tears. Louis knelt down between my legs. "Look at me, darling." I looked down at him and he examined my face with his beautiful eyes. I'm sure my face looks horrid with mascara stains running down my cheeks, lipstick smudged across my face, blood running down my chin, my hair a wild mess, tears rushing down, and my body trembling. "Tell me what happened, baby," he spoke softly.

I was crying too much to even respond to the point I began to choke on my sobs.

Louis rubbed my thigh to comfort me. "Ssshh, relax so you can explain to me what happened."

I breathed in and hiccuped. "Well, she basically called me ugly and wondered why you would want to be with a woman like me. So I called her jealous and that's when she called me a rat and a bitch. My response was that I prayed for bitches like her and told her to have a great rest of her night before she threw her drink on me. I was going to fight her but I refrained myself from doing so for the sake of embarrassing you. I don't want you to have bad publicity or something because of me. I don't know." I hiccuped again. "She called me a wet rat and a whore before attacking me."

Louis rubbed my thigh a bit more.

"They were talking about me earlier and laughing before she followed me to get another drink," I added.

Louis sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You should've told me the moment they started laughing at you and I could've had it handled to avoid this situation."

My head was aching and my lip was throbbing with pain. I just wanted to lay down and sleep.

"I probably embarrassed you," I mumbled and began to cry again.

"No, love," he began. "You're alright. Everything is okay. Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?"

I nodded and watched him stand up. He pressed a sweet kiss to my forehead, which made my heart flutter, before he was walking away to his bathroom. I heard a cabinet shut and running water until he came out with a wet rag. He came over and sat beside me on the bed. He wiped around my eyes to rid my face of my mascara and moved to my lips where he wiped off my smudged lipstick and blood.

My eyes were beginning to feel like weights as exhaustion began to take place.

"That was a hard hit you know," he chuckled. "Impressive, really. Thought you shattered her left side of her face."

I laughed a little. "She wouldn't let go, so I made her let go."

"I saw," he said and laughed.

"Who was she anyway?" I asked out of curiosity but then Louis had gone quiet, causing me to be even more curious. "Well?"

"She's my ex," he said.

"Oh," I mumbled and looked down at my shoes.

Silence swallowed us up as we just sat there on the bed. I twiddled my thumbs as Louis sat there staring at the floor, almost like he was trying to come up with something better to say, but he came up with nothing as we sat there for five minutes.

"My head hurts," I whispered to somewhat break the silence.

Louis stood up. "Lay in the bed." He placed the wet rag in the clothes bin and locked the bedroom door.

I moved to lay in the bed like he told me to and tucked myself beneath the comforter and rested my head on the fluffy pillows. They smelled like Louis, vanilla.

Louis kicked his shoes off and joined me in the bed. He beckoned me to move into his arms, so I did and lied my head down on his chest. His arm that I was laying on curled around me to keep me secure. I eventually fell asleep in my boss's arms and bed, my head and lip still throbbing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


	8. Chapter Seven

**Madison  
** _Saturday, July 26th_

My eyes slowly fluttered open to the sun shining in through the window walls. The sun rose over the tall buildings and reflected against the windows. It was definitely a satisfying view, especially from bed. Louis is so lucky to wake up to such a beautiful scene.

I felt the warmth of another body against my back and finally realized that I was being spooned. I looked over my shoulder to see Louis fast asleep behind me. He looks softer when he sleeps. My eyes scanned him from head to toe to find that he wasn't wearing his blazer and that he had unbuttoned the cuffs of his button-up shirt, along with a few buttons on the front to reveal his tatted chest. His shirt was still somewhat still tucked into his trousers.

Louis' hand was resting on my hip, and it was kind of odd for me as my dress was rolled up close to my hips, nearly revealing what's underneath. I reached down and pulled my dress down a little bit.

I lied my head back against the pillow and released a soft sigh. My eyes scanned the room as I thought to myself about last night. It was pretty interesting, if you ask me. God, if women attack me because they're jealous that I'm with Louis, I don't know if I can handle a relationship with him. I don't want to be physically or verbally attacked again. That would only bring bad publicity to Louis. I can't fight worth of shit. I just got lucky last night when I clobbered Chelsea.

And let's not forget about when Louis got jealous. I've never seen him jealous before, and honestly, it's kind of cute. He's got a pretty attractive representative, but I guess I shouldn't tell him that. His jealously already got the best of him to the point he lied to the man and told him that we were together. God, what if that gets out to the public?

Everyone saw Louis and I together at the party. It's bound to get out there. Especially after I got attacked, he was so protective and possessive. I'm sure our relationship is in question right now. It'll be all over the internet. Then the public will find out exactly who I am and probably shame me, or maybe even Louis. I'm not sure if I want to be the talk on MTV or drama websites such as The Sun. I'd rather not.

I felt Louis moving a bit behind me, his hand gripping my hip to pull me closer to him. I squeezed my eyes shut to pretend that I was asleep. He began to rub his hand up and down my thigh before I felt a pair of lips against the skin of my neck. My body stiffened under the touch, but thankfully, he didn't notice as he continued to press soft kisses against my neck.

I opened my eyes, my brain telling me to kiss him. It's not such a bad idea, really. I've always wondered what his lips would feel like against my own. I moved onto my back and peered up at Louis, who was propped up on his elbow. His hair was falling out of the day-old hairspray as multiple strands hung down his forehead. He looked deep into my eyes before he was leaning forward and pressing his soft lips against my own. My eyes fluttered shut as I began to kiss back. His hand touched the side of my cheek as we kissed passionately, but things were quick to heat up by the time each of our tongues were roaming each other's mouthes. I felt control and dominance radiating off of him.

Louis' hand disappeared from my cheek but instead, landed on my thigh. His hand slid up to the hem of my dress and pushed it up my thighs before he was climbing on top of me. I gladly allowed my legs to wrap around his waist, which forced his groin to press against my own. He began to grind against me and I released a moan into his mouth from the action.

Louis pulled away from my lips and placed them against the skin of my neck. Another soft moan escaped my lips.

"You have no idea how bad I want you," he said, his breath hot on my skin.

I laughed nervously. "I can feel it," I said as a joke.

He chuckled softly in my ear and continued to rock his hips against me. "I knew that dress would cause trouble. You had every single pair of eyes on you. It was so hard to be a proper gentleman, but that's anytime I see you. You're just so beautiful, sweet, and adorable. You make it hard for me to behave."

My breathing faltered at his words. God, I want him so bad. I'm turned on and ready for him to just take me right here on this bed. He continued to kiss along my neck, his hands moving to grip my wrists and pull them up above my head. I wanted to touch him, but he seemed to be in control.

"Louis," I moaned when his teeth bit gently into the soft tissue of my skin. His hands left my wrists so his left hand could run down my thigh. I made the move to unbutton the rest of his shirt while my hands were free from his grip and allowed them to touch his skin. I ran my hand down to his lower stomach and fiddled with the top of his trousers.

Louis pulled away from my neck and sat back to undo the button on his trousers, allowing me access. He was wearing black Calvin Klein briefs that accentuated the prominent bulge at the front.

I reached out to touch him but then realized what I was doing and hesitated, pulling my hand back. This is really happening right now. Am I going to regret doing this? Fuck, will it even mean anything to him or is this just relieving pressure? Okay, I can't think like that. He's not that kind of guy. This is supposed to be professional, but this is way past 'professional'. If we continue what is currently about to happen, I'm giving in to the man, and I'm not so sure if I want to do that or not.

My eyes met Louis' and it seemed like he was trying to read me. "Everything alright, love?" He asked. "You don't seem so sure all of a sudden."

I was tentative on answering. "Can we maybe, like...not go too far with things such as penetration and stuff?"

Louis brought a gentle hand up to brush the hair away from my face. "Of course, babe. Whatever you're comfortable with. We'll do what you want. We don't even have to go any further if you don't want to."

Well, I want to go a tad bit farther but not by too much. Maybe a little bit more of touching and kissing. But penetration? Nope.

"Can we—can we touch each other?" I asked but cringed at my question. It doesn't sound right coming from between my lips.

He smiled softly. "It's okay, Madison. We can just stick to touching if that's all you want to do."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Have you ever had sex before, Madison?" He asked, not even sugar-coding it a little bit.

My cheeks bloomed with red before I was shaking my head. "I've only touched, just not, like...had real sex...like penetration."

"That's okay, nothing wrong with that," he said and smiled to assure me that it really is okay, which honestly made me feel a whole lot better and comfortable because his smile was definitely genuine.

I hesitantly moved my hand to the front of his briefs and pressed my palm against his bulge. He reacted a bit with the slightest move of his hips forward to press himself against my small hand. The girth on him was thick and he felt solid. I was slightly terrified just thinking about if I let him penetrate me. One, he would take my virginity, and two, I know it would hurt. I'm sure he's not easy to take by the feel of him.

Louis began to release groans as I rubbed my hand up and down his length. I even let my thumb press against his tip, which he responded with a moan and a twitch of his hips forward. He then leaned forward to press his lips against mine, moaning into my mouth as I continued palming him.

As we kissed, I built up the courage to finally dip my hand down into the front of his briefs to grip him. He pulled away to press his forehead against my shoulder, breathing hot breath against my skin as I slowly tugged at his cock.

"Madison," he sighed out of pleasure, turning his head to press kisses against my neck, but then he was sitting up and pulling my hand out of his briefs so he could strip. My mouth watered at the amazing sight of the man. His tan skin, tattoos, toned body, beautiful wispy hair, and a pair of shocking blue eyes that stared right back at me.

I blinked away from him and looked down to see that I was still clothed. I pulled the straps down off my shoulders and tugged the dress past my breasts, showing off the black strapless bra I was wearing. I eventually had the dress off and tossed it on the floor. Looking up, I found that Louis' eyes were filled with lust as he scanned my body from head to toe, and honestly, I felt quite self-conscious about every aspect of my body to the point I wrapped my arms around myself. I didn't want him to see the pudge on my stomach, and I felt ashamed of the stretch marks on my thighs. Chelsea was right, why would he want to be with a woman like me? Just look at me.

My eyes met Louis' again and they no longer held lust and want but held concern. He crawled over to sit beside me. "You're gorgeous, you know that, right?" He said but I only shrugged in response.

"Why me?" I asked.

"Excuse me?" He said, almost offended by my question.

"Out of all the women in the world, why me? The personal maid. Is it because you feel bad for me? Is it because I look vulnerable enough to easily take advantage of?" I questioned. 

"Oh, enough!" He almost barked, but it was enough to make me purse my lips shut and feel ashamed for what just came out of my mouth. "Not even a second did any of that cross my mind." I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the side of my head, but I didn't dare look up. "Let me tell you something, I don't find women who only look for the glamour and riches to be attractive. The women who are intelligent, hard-working, humorous, and kind are the most attractive women in the world, no matter their looks and social status. And you my dear, you fit in."

I started to smile but bit my lip to stop it from growing any bigger. "Never in a million years did I ever think a man like you would ever want to do anything with their lower-class maid."

"Your thoughts were wrong, darling. I want anything and everything to do with you. If you're not included, I don't want anything to do with anything," he said, and I finally looked up at him and he was staring down at me with adoration evident in his eyes. "And stop looking at yourself the way you do. You look at yourself like it's the worst thing in the world, especially your body. That's your body, and you know what? You're going to be in it for the rest of your life, so learn to love it."

Tears formed in my eyes as I stared into his. "Why are you so nice to me?"

Louis chuckled and cradled my face in his hands. "I'm not being nice, Madison, I'm being honest. Look at yourself with a bit more respect, yeah? You deserve the confidence."

I straddled Louis' lap and grinned. His hands slid up to my thighs as he held me on top of him. "I want you," I said.

"You do, huh?" He began to tease.

I nodded and moved to kiss his neck, but he stopped me with a hand to my chest. "Ah, ah, ah!" He started, which confused me. Does he not want me to kiss his him? Does he want something else? "Let me take care of you." Oh.

"Take care of me?" I questioned to make sure I heard him right.

"Lay in the bed," he instructed me, so I did as I was told and lied down on the bed. He moved on top of me. "Color blotches or white?"

I frowned. "Huh?"

"Which one would you like to see?" He asked and smirked.

I finally realized what he was saying, and it was sexual, and laughed. "You're funny."

Louis winked at me, sending me into a puddle, and I was afraid the bed was going to absorb me.

"I'm going to prove to you just how beautiful you are," he said and booped my nose with the tip of his index finger. "If I succeed, I get to treat you to a luxury dinner Monday night."

"Why a luxury dinner?" I asked.

"I want to spoil you," he said and grinned.

I giggled and rolled my eyes. "Buying me an ice cream or a pizza would be enough to spoil me."

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I want to take you somewhere nice where they serve amazing food that will definitely impress your taste buds."

"Okay, I'd really like that," I said and smiled. 

Louis began to press kisses starting from my lips all the way down my body until he was between my legs and looking up at me for permission, to which I nodded. He slipped my underwear off and tossed it to the side before kissing along my thighs. My breath hitched when he sunk his teeth down into the soft skin. Louis quickly looked up at me as soon as he heard the sound leave my lips, probably to make sure I was okay.

He brought a hand to my sex but paused. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" He asked.

I nodded.

"No, I need you to be verbal," he said sternly.

"Yes," I said as I nodded, "I'm okay with this."

Louis grabbed my legs, draped them over his shoulders, and pulled me closer before he was kissing my inner thighs. I lied there and watched as he gave me feather-like kisses. My heart fluttered at the thought of how gentle he is with me.

Louis' eyes met mine one more time before he was leaning forward to place his lips where I wanted him most. I breathed in a sharp breath and arched my back just the tiniest bit at the feeling. I felt Louis smile against me, probably proud of how he's affecting me.

•••

I released a soft sigh as my head sunk into the pillow beneath my head as the sheets covered my naked body. Louis was up and slipping on his trousers as I relaxed in the bed after our previous activities.

"Are you sure you don't want me to return the favor?" I asked.

"Honestly, I do, but I wanted to take care of you," he said.

"Yeah, I know, but...it doesn't feel right," I said. 

"Don't you worry about me, darling. I'll survive," he said and chuckled.

I bit my lip at the view of him just standing there in his trousers with nothing else on. It was the most appealing sight I had ever witnessed, honestly. He almost made me want to just say 'take me' and completely give myself to him.

"Breakfast or lunch?" He asked, breaking me from my unholy thoughts only to frown in confusion. "I'm ordering."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Almost noon," he said.

"Em...I guess lunch," I decided.

He nodded and went for the door. "I'll bring us a bottle of wine." Then he left.

I turned my head to look out at New York, watching how the busy streets practically moved. I turned my entire body to face the window, propping my head up with my hand, and pulled the sheet up to my neck. Louis pleasured me right in front of these windows. God, that's so embarrassing. What if someone with a pair of binoculars saw us? I'm pretty sure that's highly unlikely, but who knows.

I continued to sit and look out among the bustling city until Louis walked in with two wine glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine and a cork screw in the other. "Since we couldn't quite enjoy ourselves last night, I thought we could try again," he said, handing me a glass. I took the glass and waited until he popped the cork out of the bottle with the fancy corkscrew.

Once Louis had the bottle opened, he poured the blood red liquid into my glass before doing the same to his. "Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson," I said politely, but I noticed how he cringed the slightest bit. "Something the matter?"

"In a non-professional setting, call me Louis," he said and sent me a wink.

"Oh, I am so sorry Mr. Tom—Louis! I'm sorry, Louis," I said, shaking my head at myself. I always find a way to embarrass myself all the time.

Louis chuckled and sat in the bed with me. I moved to sip at the glass of wine, but I felt Louis' eyes watching me. I hesitantly looked over at him as I sipped the wine and found deep adoration in his eyes. When I pulled the glass away, Louis leaned in to initiate a kiss, to which I gladly allowed.

We sat and kissed for what felt like hours, but it was only five minutes before there was a call coming in on Louis' phone on the nightstand. He pulled away from me to grab his phone and answered it.

There was a quick mumble on the phone. "Ah, thank you," he said quickly and hung up. He looked over at me and pecked my lips. "Food's here." He got up from the bed and before leaving the room, he grabbed his shirt from off the floor. It was only minutes by the time he came back with our food. They were sandwiches wrapped nicely in some kind of paper. He handed me one and I unwrapped it to reveal a kind of sandwich I've never seen before. It had tomato, fresh basil, and I guess mozzarella on it.

"What kind of sandwiches are they?" I asked out of curiosity.

"They're called caprese sandwiches," he answered, picking up the bottle of wine off the nightstand. "More wine?"

I handed him my glass and he poured me some more wine. "Thank you," I said, setting it on the nightstand beside me so I could eat my sandwich properly. Louis joined me in the bed and we ate our lunch together.

"After lunch, I have to clean up the penthouse," I said, grabbing my wine to take a sip. 

Louis shook his head, which had me taken back. "No, you will not. I've hired someone else to clean up after the party."

"What?" I couldn't believe it. I'm his maid, that's my job! How could he give my job to someone else!?

"I wouldn't do that you, Madison. Invite you to a party only for you to clean it up the next day," he said.

"But Louis, that's my job. That's something I have to deal with," I said.

"Not today," he said and sipped his wine, "and don't you argue with me." He then sent me this look almost as if he was daring me, but for my sake, I decided not to say anything else about it. "I've also made a decision," he began, sparking curiosity within me, yet again.

"Really? And that is?" I asked.

"Instead of leaving here on August sixteenth, I will be here until the beginning of September," he said.

I frowned. "Why?"

"I don't have anything important to do until the second week of September, so I'd like to keep you company. I have to be back in LA at least by the tenth, but I'm leaving the seventh," he explained and smiled. "When I'm gone, you will be out of work until I come back to New York, which shouldn't be too long."

"Oh," I mumbled.

"I should be back here on the first of October, the earliest. The latest would probably be the fifth of October," he said. 

I nodded. "Okay."

We continued to eat and relax—and we even kissed a little bit—before I told him I had to go home.

"You could stay another night if you'd like. I wouldn't mind the company," he said, brushing the hair away from my face and flicking his eyes between my eyes and lips.

"I can't, Louis. I have to prepare for work for tomorrow and I need to change into clean clothes," I said.

"Excuses," he said and rolled his eyes.

"They're not excuses," I laughed.

He bit his lip as a smile formed across his lips. "Tomorrow's Sunday, love," he spoke softly. "You don't work."

I groaned. "Okay, well, I _do_ need clean clothes."

He chuckled and kissed the corner of my mouth. "I'll let you go," he said. "I'll get you a ride home."

"Okay, thank you," I said and moved so that I was sitting on the edge of the bed, careful not to let the sheets slip off my naked body. I reached down and grabbed my clothes from off the floor. "Mind if I shower?" I asked.

"Not at all, darling," he said.

I was hesitant on removing the sheet, but I still pulled it off and walked into the bathroom. I definitely felt Louis' eyes on me before I shut the door.

_•••_

"Alright, love," Louis began once we made it to the black Range Rover that sat outside of the building and opened the door for me. "I'll see you Monday."

I got in the car and sat down, looking over at him with a smile. "Yeah, I'll see you Monday." He leaned into the vehicle and pressed his lips against mine for what felt like the millionth time today.

"I can't get enough of you," he whispered and then smoothly slipped something into my hand. I pulled away from him to see what it was and it was his credit card. "Buy yourself something pretty for Monday night."

I was kind of confused as to what he was talking about until I remembered the deal from earlier this morning. He's taking me to dinner on Monday.

"Louis, I don't want to keep using your money," I said as I tried to give him his card back, but he pushed my hand away and pressed his finger against his lips as he hushed me.

"Don't argue with me," he said.

I pouted, which had him laughing. "Louis, I really—"

"Sshh," he hushed me again, "I'll see you Monday," and then he escaped out of the vehicle and shut the door.

I looked down at the credit card in my hand and gave out a sigh. Great, I've got a sugar daddy for sure.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Madison  
** _Monday, July 28th_

"You're dating who!?" Her voice blared through the phone, and since we're on FaceTime, I can see the shocked look on her face.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Emerson is going to make a big deal out of this and I know it. She'll go on and on about it until my ears bleed, constantly asking what we do and always texting me during dates to get the current details of what's happening. It's super annoying.

"My boss. I'm dating Louis," I said, checking myself out in the mirror. I tried to find a dress that wasn't too cheap but not too expensive either. I hate to be using Louis' money like it's my own, even though he forced his credit card on me. I know that if I bought something too cheap, he'd be disappointed, so I try to go for something that's in the middle. The dress I chose really isn't too bad.

I'm wearing a lavender floral midi-dress that is lace and backless with a pair of lavender heels to match. I also added pearl earrings and a necklace that had a gold chain and a single pearl hanging off of it to add to my outfit. The colors really accentuated my fair skin and brown eyes.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're dating a billionaire! Do you know how lucky you are!? Imagine all of the luxurious things you can buy!" Emerson nearly screamed through the phone.

"Yeah, yeah," I waved it off because I really don't want to hear it. I'm not dating the man for his money. But shit, if Emerson could she would. "Just tell me how I look." I picked up the phone and switched the camera so it was on the mirror.

"You look great, but where'd you get the dress?" She asked.

I cleared my throat as I put the phone down. "Um...Louis bought it for me," I admitted. I am not telling her that he gave me his credit card. She would beg me to buy her something and make me feel bad for not doing so.

"Oohh, so Mr. CEO is a sugar daddy, huh?" She said and wiggled her brows.

I ignored her comment and made sure my hair wasn't a mess in the style that I put it in. I attempted to do a simple wrap-around ponytail, and honestly, it doesn't look too bad. My makeup is also simple, mascara and a dusty pink lipstick.

My phone made a sound, letting me know I had a text message. I grabbed my phone and switched to my messages, leaving Emerson on pause.

"You just did not pause me!" Emerson gasped.

"Hold on," I mumbled and noticed that Louis had texted me. "Louis texted me." I clicked on the message and my heart stopped. "He...He wants my address."

"So?" Emerson said like it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Emerson, I don't want him to see where I live! He'll probably vomit and drive away!" I began to panic. "Shit, what do I do?"

Emerson laughed. "Stop worrying and give him the address, Madison. What I've been told, he just might save you from the shit hole."

"Wow, thanks, Em," I grumbled and reluctantly sent him my address.

"Anyway, has he bought you anything else?" She asked.

"He bought me another dress for a party that I went to last Friday," I said.

"What!?" She exclaimed. "And you didn't tell me!? I'm actually offended."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled as I sat on my bed.

"Did anything happen that night? Did you guys get drunk and have sex? Tell me the details, Madi!" She nearly screamed at me.

"Okay, okay! No, we didn't get drunk," was all I said, not mentioning what we had done the morning after.

"You didn't answer the second one. Did you guys have sex or not?" She pressed, which had me rolling my eyes and releasing a sigh.

"We—Kind of. We kind of did. It was more of touching and oral," I said.

Emerson gasped. "Oh my god! And all these years that we've been friends, you're actually not as much as a saint as I thought you were!"

I laughed and shook my head. "He was tempting."

"I wouldn't fucking doubt it. I read that he's very private, so props to you for getting the man naked," she said and let out an obnoxious laugh.

"It wasn't about getting him naked, Emerson. We had a moment and I really enjoyed it," I said and smiled at the thought of his beautiful smile and his warm, soft hands touching my body.

"You better have enjoyed it because I don't think many girls can say they've slept with the one and only Louis Tomlinson. It seems he just doesn't woo any woman he sees. The man has only had two serious relationships in his life, Aurora Westbrook and Chelsea Kline," she said and I stiffened at Chelsea's name.

"Why the look on your face?" Emerson asked.

"Um, no reason," I said and stood up. "Anyway, look, I have to—"

"Wait, tell me, please?" She begged and gave me puppy dog eyes through the phone.

"She attacked me at the party, but it's not a big deal," I said as I shrugged.

"She attacked you!? Oh my god, tell me the drama now!" She said, getting comfortable on her bed as she stuffed a pillow under her chin.

"She was jealous of me being with Louis and called me a whore and a wet rat. Her and her friends ganged up on me. I ended up hitting her really hard, hard enough to get her to release my hair. Louis was furious and kicked them out before telling me she was his ex," I explained.

"Oh my god! That's insane, Madison!" She was in awe. "And you didn't call the cops? I would've pressed charges on that bitch! Ooo, just she wait until I see her on the street, she's going down!"

"Okay, no. That's what we're not going to do," I said.

Emerson pouted. "I just want to protect my bestest friend in the whole wide world. No one touches my friend and gets away with it. You know that."

"I know. I don't want anymore conflict, that's all," I said and smiled. "Thanks for having my back though."

"No problem, girl. Is there anything out about you and Louis being a thing?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I never checked."

She hummed in thought before she put me on pause. "Let's see," she mumbled to herself. I waited a moment before she was speaking again. "Louis Tomlinson and Who Are Together Now? Louis Tomlinson, the multi-billionaire CEO of LT Bank, was seen outside his New York City home sending his young and beautiful belle off, but of course not without a parting kiss! It seems she stayed the night after Louis' beauty guru of-a-sister, Lottie Napolitano, threw a celebration party for her new line of makeup that was introduced last Wednesday at her brother's multi-million penthouse. Mystery woman seemed to have slept well as her bed-head showed it all, all-while still being stuck in her black cocktail dress from the night before. Who is she!?"

"Oh my god," I mumbled, completely in shock. "Oh no...no, no, no!"

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Shit, this is great, Madi! You're being noticed!" Emerson said with excitement, completely opposite of how I was reacting.

I ignored her response and rushed to the door, opening it to reveal Louis, who was standing there in a white button-up with a black blazer, black trousers, and black dress shoes. His hair was brushed back like how it normally is for formal events. But what I also noticed was that he was holding a bouquet of red roses. I stood there, not knowing what to say or do.

"These are for you," he said, handing me the beautiful, fresh-smelling flowers.

I took them with shaky hands, looking down at them, and I fish-mouthed for words, but I couldn't come up with anything. I could still hear Emerson talking back in my room. I looked up to see Louis peeking around at my apartment before he was meeting my eyes. "May I come in?"

"Oh! Of course!" I said, moving aside to allow the beautiful man into my shitty apartment. It's like placing a diamond in a dirt pile while I'm gangue, which belongs in a dirt pile or even a trash bin because it's so worthless.

Louis walked in, his eyes observing my apartment even more now that he's inside. He sauntered around, looking in the kitchen, the living room, the laundry room, and then finally, my bedroom. I followed him in and then realized Emerson was still on the phone. Louis passed by the phone without noticing, but I couldn't say the same about Emerson when she screamed out 'Oh my god, is that Louis Tomlinson!?' I quickly hung her up before Louis could notice I was on the phone.

Louis stopped and turned to me with a frown, so I just smiled. "What was that?" He asked.

"What was what?" I acted as if I didn't know what he was talking about.

"There was another person talking," he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No there wasn't," I said and laughed it off.

Louis searched my eyes with his own and smirked. "You're lying to me."

"I am not!" I said, my voice sounding higher than usual due to the fact that I am lying. That's why I can't ever get away with anything, especially when I was a kid, so I just tell the truth most of the time. I just don't want Emerson to embarrass me in front of him because she's really good at doing that. That's why I'm single. Okay, maybe I'm single for other reasons that don't include her.

"Your voice is higher than usual," he said, slowly walking towards me. I stepped back the closer he got until the backs of my knees ran into the edge of the bed behind me and had me landing flat on the bed.

Louis leaned over me, his hands pressed into the mattress on both sides of my head and his face only inches away from mine. "When there's lies, there's consequences," he said, his voice sounding deeper and domineering.

My breath hitched at his words. What could he mean by that? It definitely doesn't sound like a good thing. "I-I was talking to my friend. I hung her up before she could embarrass me in front of you," I admitted.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" He said before sitting up.

What is up with him? I'm finding him to be a bit different than usual or is it just me? Consequences? As in punishments? There's got to be something I don't know about him that I've yet to learn, but I could also be overthinking it as I usually do.

"Interesting apartment you're living in," Louis said as he walked around my room, picking up a portrait of my brother and I that I had sitting on my dresser. It was when I graduated High school. "This your brother?"

"Yeah," I mumbled.

He hummed and set it back down in its original place. "Your apartment is very...how do I put this? Worn, maybe?"

"I couldn't afford a better one," I said, feeling quite embarrassed and ashamed.

"That's obvious," he said, and ouch, that one hurt. 

Louis exited my bedroom, so I followed. My heart sort of ached because of his words. I'm pretty sure that's the only nasty thing he's ever said to me but still, it hurts. He walked over to the couch and examined it.

"You can have a seat if you'd like. I'm just going to put those roses in some water," I said, going in search of a vase.

"Oh, that's okay, I'll stand," he said, eyeing the couch oddly. 

I became even more embarrassed to the point I just felt like disappearing into thin air, so I quickly pulled a vase out from under the sink, filled it with water, and shoved the roses down into it. "Okay, let's go," I said, grabbing my black clutch and cellphone.

We left my apartment, not another word said to Louis as he escorted me to the awaiting black Range Rover. He opened the door and allowed me in and then shut the door behind me. He came around and got in on the other side, joining me in the backseat. 

I was quiet in the car as it pulled away from the curb. I didn't want to speak to Louis, nor did I want to look at him. How dare he speak to me in such a way. I wouldn't have ever expected him to say anything like what he said. 'That's obvious.' Stuff a sock in it!

I felt his warm hand grab mine and pulled it onto his thigh. I looked over to see that he seemed concerned. "Everything alright, Madison?" He asked, and my god, the nerve. The nerve this man has!

I shrugged and shook my head. "I'm okay."

"You're not," he said, seeing right through me. "Have I upset you?"

I didn't respond but just looked down at my lap.

"Oh, I have," he said, realization hitting him. "Was it what I said about your apartment?"

I nodded.

"I apologize, darling," he said, rubbing his thumb across the top of my hand.

I didn't respond.

Louis leaned in and pressed his soft lips against my shoulder. "You look absolutely stunning tonight," he whispered in my ear, and I tried to force away the smile that was trying to form on my lips.

"I see that beautiful smile forming," he said and laughed. 

I finally smiled, letting him have it, and leaned my head on his shoulder. "Where are we going?"

"To a place called Eleven Madison Park. It's only about seventeen minutes from here. Not too long of a drive," he said.

I hummed. "Sounds nice." And it was the truth. I smiled up at him and his eyes met mine, and they held a kind of softness within them that made me feel a whole lot more comfortable.

"People are talking about us on the internet," I blurted out, but he continued to hold that soft look, so I could only assume it doesn't bother him.

He hummed. "Is that okay with you?"

"I mean," I began and looked down at his chest so I wouldn't have to look him in the eye, "I don't know how to feel about it. I don't know if I should be scared or happy." My eyes caught sight of his hand and how his thumb rubbed the top of my hand very comfortingly.

"Scared?" He questioned.

"Yeah," I mumbled and shrugged. "Scared of jealous people. We're not just going to forget how I was attacked last Friday, are we?"

He was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Look at me." And I did, looking up into his ocean eyes. "I'll keep you safe. Don't you worry about a thing," he said, squeezing my hand softly. "I'll protect you."

My heart fluttered in my chest at his response. He might have seemed like a dick earlier, but he's definitely making up for it.

•••

We finally arrived at the restaurant, and I noticed how perfectly well-dressed the women were as they were linked to their perfect beaus who led them inside the building. Our vehicle pulled off to the side and the door opened, revealing a man who wore a formal attire.

I got out of the car and Louis followed close behind, gripping my hand to pull me towards the entrance. There were many men and women flashing their cameras in our faces while security tried to force them back so they couldn't touch us. I felt extremely nervous trying to weave through to the entrance with Louis, so much that I gripped Louis' hand tighter, which gave him an idea that I was quite terrified. He looked back at me to check on me before yanking me forward so I was ahead and he could protect me from behind.

We finally entered the restaurant after the outside chaos and Louis was immediately greeted by a few women. I gave them glares, to which they sent back. They look like gold diggers who want anything other than just Louis himself. I noticed how Louis completely ignored the women and approached the hostess.

"Reservations, sir?" The pretty, young hostess asked.

"Yes. Tomlinson," Louis said as he looked back in search of me. I was standing a bit behind, patiently waiting. He held his hand out to me, which I gladly took, and he pulled me real close to him so he could wrap an arm around my waist while the lady searched for our reservation.

"Ah, yes! Right this way," she said with a chirpy voice and a large smile. We followed her through the restaurant, and I couldn't help but notice all of the wealthy people enjoying their evening dinners. The lady led us to a table that was already set up perfectly to the T. Everything looked elegant.

Louis pulled my chair out for me and I sat down. He eventually did the same and finally looked at me to notice the terrified look on my face. "Relax, sweetheart," he said sweetly, reaching across the table to grab my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It's just dinner."

I gulped. "I feel like I don't belong here. Everyone looks so—so rich! You saw where I live. This is not a place for a woman like me." I shook my head in shame at myself. "You spoil me so much and I'm not used to that. It's so overwhelming. I'm a woman who works as a maid and lives in a shithole. I don't fit in here, Louis." My eyes glossed over with tears. "This ain't for me."

"Madison, Madison," he said, shaking his head and taking both my hands in his. "Relax, sweetheart. You're just rambling." His voice sounded so soft and sweet.

"I can't, Louis. This is so overwhelming. I mean, you hand me your credit card that probably has enough money on it to pay off at least twenty students college debt and you tell me to go out and buy myself something. I sleep in the same bed as a billionaire and I drink wine, eat sandwiches that I've never heard of, and look fancy, while watching the city from a fucking sky scraper made purely out of glass! What kind of life is that? And you know what, I'll tell you. A life too good for a woman like me." I finished with a sigh of frustration.

I met Louis' eyes only to find that he was staring at me, and that's when I realized that I just sounded really stupid and ungrateful. "God, I'm sorry. I sound like an idiot. I should be thankful. My god," I began again.

"Madison," Louis' voice sounded and it was much more stronger and dominant.

I met his eyes.

"Stop," he told me. "You speak nonsense when you're nervous."

I scoffed, obviously offended. "Nonsense? That 'nonsense' are my feelings!"

Louis sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb.

"God, I'm sorry. I'm ruining this, aren't I? I'm probably embarrassing you in front of all these people," I continued again.

I could see Louis' evident irritation on his face, and I knew his patience was running really low. "Madison, do we need to go elsewhere to sort things out in order to get you to shut your mouth?" And wow, okay. What the hell does that mean!?

"I'm sorry, sir," I mumbled my apology and bowed my head in shame. 

"That's okay, darling," he said in a sweet tone. He was honestly confusing me. It's like he's threatening to punish me or something. Consequences follow lies and taking me elsewhere to make me shut my mouth? Those are threats of punishment, aren't they?

I noticed that a waiter was approaching our table with a bottle of wine. "Wine, Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson?" The man asked. He knows damn well we're not married...

"Yes, that would be fine," Louis said and then wine was being poured into our glasses.

The waiter then left us with the bottle of wine, having it sit neatly in the middle of the table. I grabbed my glass of wine and basically glugged it down before snatching up the wine bottle to pour myself another. I felt Louis' eyes on me the entire time, but I didn't care. I drank more and more until the bottle was nearly empty.

"Madison, no need to guzzle it down like that," he said.

"Well, when you feel so fucking uptight, I think it's appropriate," I said with a twinge of sass in my tone of voice, which unfortunately, he noticed.

"Damn it, if we weren't surrounded by a dining room full of people," he nearly growled, and excuse me!?

I scoffed. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I'd set you straight. Now stop talking, you're embarrassing yourself," he said, grabbing his wine glass to take a sip. He looked so rich doing it too.

"Embarrassing myself!? I am—"

I accidentally knocked the glass of wine right into my lap and I quickly shoved my chair back to stand up, but it ended up knocking into a waiter behind me. I felt the hot liquid of fresh soup running down my back, and by the smell of it, I could tell it was tomato soup. I gasped at the stinging pain of the scorching hot liquid.

Everyone gasped around me as I stood there with soup running down the back of me and a very angry waiter standing off to the side, shaking his head at me.

"Oh my goodness!" A lady blurted out.

Louis was immediately at my side, nearly dragging me towards the bathroom. I felt slightly drunk off the wine since I almost finished a bottle by myself. I obviously can't handle alcohol very well. 

Louis forced me to the sink and had me face my back to him as he snatched up a few rags they had sitting in a basket on the counter for customers to dry their hands on. As Louis tried his best to clean me up, the water works began as my eyes blurred and I started to sniffle.

Louis looked up to see my reflection in the mirror and his face softened when he realized I was going to cry. "Oh no, baby, what's the matter?" He asked, bringing a single finger up to brush against the skin of my neck.

"I've embarrassed not only myself, b-but I've embarrassed you!" I broke into a sob. "A-And now my dress is r-ruined!"

Louis hushed me and rubbed at my shoulders. "It's okay. I'll take care of you and the dress. No worries, baby."

"It's okay if you don't want me anymore," I said.

"Enough," he demanded, so I pursed my lips shut. "It's our first date. I get it, you're nervous." He then continued to help me clean up without another word said.

A woman walked into the bathroom and saw Louis helping me. "Oh, what a fine gentleman you have here," she said to me and smiled, walking around Louis so she could stand in front of the mirror. She started to fluff her hair and fix her lipstick. "That was quite the scene, if I do say so myself. Your dress seems to be ruined."

"Yeah, I'm sure it's stained for life," I said, feeling pretty bummed about the fact.

"We'll get your dress fixed," Louis assured me as he stood up. "Come on, now." He gripped my hand and pulled me towards the door.

"Goodbye, Mr. Tomlinson," the lady said and fluttered her eyelashes that were probably false. Louis ignored her and pulled me out of the bathroom and back to our table. The table had food waiting for us. Louis seated me and I noticed how he pushed my plate of food forward a little bit as the plate was a little too close to the edge for his liking. He sat back down and nodded his head to my food, basically telling me to eat.

I grabbed my fork and began to eat the appetizer. I noticed the woman from in the bathroom had walked out and passed by our table. Louis cut his eyes at her as she walked by with a snobby grin and took her seat with a man that looked double her age. I couldn't help but wonder who the woman was. She seems to know Louis, and if I have guessed correctly, Louis knows her too. I felt a twinge of jealousy spark within me.

I grabbed the wine bottle and poured myself another drink in my new, clean glass. Louis looked up from his food and noticed. He reached across the table and grabbed the wine bottle from me. "That's enough," he said, setting the bottle down by him.

Once we had finished our ten course meal, I was drunk and dizzy. Regret began to fill my insides when I saw that Louis looked quite disappointed. I got drunk on our first date. My god, it wouldn't shock me if he never wanted to see me again.

Louis paid for the meal, and once that was done, he stood up from his seat and assisted me out of mine. When I was on my feet, I became dizzy and plopped back down in my chair. "I-I'm dizzy, Louis."

Louis lifted me back up and wrapped a tight arm around my waist to keep me up and steady. He led me out of the restaurant and we were faced with the paparazzi again, their flashing cameras blinding me and making me wince. "Shade your eyes, love," Louis whispered in my ear, so I brought a hand up to cover my eyes away from the cameras. He helped me over to the car and had me carefully get in. He was so gentle.

Once I was in the car and Louis had buckled me up, he sat beside me and shut the door.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

I nodded.

He kissed my forehead before moving to strap himself into his seat. I felt my face heat up as the tears brimmed my eyes, threatening to fall.

"Back to Leonard, Mr. Tomlinson?" The driver asked.

"Yes, sir," Louis replied and finally settled in his seat. He looked over at me but had to take a double take when he saw my glassy eyes. "Oh no, darling," he began and brought his thumb up to wipe the loose tears away. "What's wrong?"

"I'm s-sorry," I whimpered. " I messed up our date."

Louis hushed me as he wrapped an arm around me to keep me close to him and he pressed a kiss to the side of my head. "It's okay, baby. Yeah, it didn't pan out like I wanted it to, but it's alright. I still enjoyed my time out with you. I will always enjoy my time with you no matter what."

I moved so that I could lay across the the seat, my head on Louis' lap. He caressed my face until I eventually fell asleep in his lap.

•••

My eyes fluttered open to a dark room and an empty, cold spot beside me. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair as I looked around. I was in Louis' bed and realized I was wearing different clothes that appeared to be Louis'. So he dressed me, huh? I found my phone lying on the side table beside me and checked the time. It's eleven at night, so where is Louis? Is he angry with me?

I got out of the bed and went in search for Louis. Exiting the room, I checked the kitchen and living room, but no sign of him. I looked out at the balcony and saw him leaning against the banister, his backside facing me. He was still in his formal attire.

I don't know if I should go out there or not. It wouldn't surprise me if he was very disappointed with how our first date went. I mean, I got drunk and he had to carry me all the way up here. God, I was so rude. Who gets drunk on their first date?

I made my decision and walked towards the door. My hand hesitantly grabbed the handle and opened it before I was stepping outside in the brisk air. I quietly shut the door behind me and approached the man to stand beside him. A breeze blew that sent goosebumps running along my skin, so I wrapped my arms around myself to keep myself warm.

Louis looked over and gave me a soft smile. "Hey, babe." He wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me close. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a slight headache, but I'll be alright," I said and leaned my head on his shoulder. "I'm sure there are plenty of articles of you and I on the internet now..."

"Yeah," Louis sighed. "There's quite a few."

I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut out of embarrassment. "I am so, so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm such an idiot."

"You're not, don't say that," he said. "I just know not to leave alcohol on the table when you're nervous." He then chuckled.

I giggled at his joke. "I'm sorry if I made you angry."

"I was a little, not going to lie. But I'm over it, so it's not a big deal," he admitted and rubbed my back. "My beautiful girl."

"Your girl?" I questioned.

"Mine," he said.

I blushed and leaned my head on his shoulder. "May I stay the night?"

"Why, of course," he said and kissed the side of my head. "That's why I dressed you in my clothes. But I have meetings early in the morning, so I won't be here for when you wake up."

"What time are you supposed to get up?" I asked.

"I have to be out of here by seven, so I'll be up by six," he said.

"Then I'll be up by five-thirty to brew you some coffee," I said and smiled, looking up to see his handsome face. I'm going to make it up to this man for the date and night out that I ruined.

Louis smiled fondly. "That would be absolutely amazing, darling."

I hummed and stretched up to kiss the edge of his jaw. "Bedtime?" I asked.

"Bedtime," he said.

I pulled away from him and we went for the door, and like the gentleman he is, he opened the door for me. I walked ahead of him to the bedroom and when I entered the room, I ran and jumped on the bed. Louis rounded the corner just as I jumped and he chuckled at me.

"You've got quite the energy for a woman who wants to go to bed," he said, unbuttoning his white button-up. It was sort of erotic to watch. I looked away so I wouldn't salivate in front of him and just lied there on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

"Well, I'm not really that tired, but I'm going to be sleeping in the same bed with a handsome man like you. So even though I'm not tired, I'm tired," I said.

Louis laughed before he startled me by crawling on top of me. When his face reached mine, he looked deeply into my eyes with a genuine smile on his lips. My heart was racing in my chest as I looked into his pools of blue.

"You're so beautiful," he spoke gently and quietly. He brought a hand up to caress my cheek. "I crave the beauty you have. I crave every ounce of it. I want nothing more than all of you."

My eyes finally ripped away from his only to fall down to his lips. I wanted them pressed against mine so badly, but I know if our lips touch, we'll be up really late doing other activities...

"Yeah," I only breathed out. My hands came up and pressed against his bare chest and slid up to his toned shoulders. "If we continue this and this leads to other things, you won't be able to get up on time for work."

A grin grew on his face. "Oh, if it wasn't for the early meetings tomorrow, I would completely wreck you," he said but then sighed. "But I suppose you're right." He removed himself from on top of me and removed his trousers, leaving himself in a pair of black briefs. I sat up and squirmed backwards so that I was sitting on my side of the bed.

"I want to apologize again for what happened tonight. I feel really bad," I said, watching as he plugged his phone in to charge.

"If you apologize one more time," he began as he set his phone down and laid his eyes on me, "I will tape your mouth shut."

"Meanie," I grumbled and pouted.

"Don't worry about it, darling," he chuckled as he joined me in the bed. "I found it quite cute to see you get all flustered and anxious."

I rolled my eyes and tugged the comforter up to cover my lower-half. "Can we at least try a less expensive place? The expensive places make me really nervous and freak me out. Maybe we can go for a walk in the park or have a movie night here."

"A walk in the park sounds really cliché," he said with a laugh.

He's so difficult...

"Then a movie night it is," I said and smiled.

He thought for a moment. "I wouldn't mind a movie night. How about Wednesday evening? I'm not busy."

"Okay," I agreed.

Louis lied down in the bed and faced me, leaning his head against his hand that was propped up by his elbow. "I love watching you sleep," he said and my face formed a frown by accident.

"Don't get all creepy on me now, Tomlinson," I said and he just laughed.

"I'm not trying to sound like some serial killer or some weird, creepy guy. You just fall asleep so peacefully, and I find that to be so beautiful. Every aspect of you is so soft and endearing, that I just can't not watch," he said, bringing his free hand up to brush some loose hairs away from my face.

I blushed and hid my face in my pillow. "The things you say are too sweet," I mumbled.

"Is that a problem?" He asked before I felt the tips of his fingers crawling up and down my back.

"You're making me blush really hard," I said and peeked up at him.

He hummed and leaned in really close. "You deserve to hear how beautiful you really are," he whispered and kissed the tip of my nose.

I moved to press as close as I possibly could to him, and he allowed me, and I closed my eyes. His fingertips rubbed up and down my back, soothing me to sleep. I could hear his heartbeat as my ear was pressed against his chest. The consistent thrumming of his heart eventually lulled me to sleep.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Madison  
** _Tuesday, July 29th_

I heard my alarm clock alerting me that it was five-thirty in the morning and that it was time for me to get up and make Louis some coffee before he heads off to work. I peeked over at Louis who was still fast asleep, not even bothered by the annoying tone of the alarm clock. I lied in the bed for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened last night. I couldn't help but wonder who that woman was that we met in the bathroom. Is she also another ex-girlfriend or a fling of some kind? She was so pretty and young, so I wouldn't be surprised.

I finally forced myself out of the bed and wandered out to the kitchen to begin brewing a pot of coffee. The image of the woman was still lingering in my brain, sparking a bit of jealousy within me. Who the hell was she? I bet you she was an ex-girlfriend. I'll even put money on it. You know what, I'm going to ask him when he comes out of his room. I don't understand why he didn't tell me who she was last night. He just kind of forgot about it like it didn't matter. Well, I don't know if it matters or not. She's so much prettier than me, so she has to be an ex.

When the clock eventually reached six, I walked by Louis' bedroom to check to see if he was up or not. I heard the shower running, so that meant he was up. I stepped into the bedroom and approached the shut door of the bathroom, giving a small knock at the wood and then cracking it open. "Louis, your coffee is ready. Just letting you know," I said.

"Alright, love. Thank you," he responded.

Before I could shut the door, Louis called out 'hey'. I opened the door back up and then the shower was shut off. "You mind handing me that towel that's sitting on the counter there?" He asked.

And oh. Okay.

I entered the bathroom and grabbed the towel from off the counter before turning towards the shower. It was see-through. My breath hitched when I caught sight of his lower-half and quickly flicked my eyes back up to his face.

Louis had a smirk. He reached out for the towel and I handed it over to him with a blush on my cheeks. "Thank you, darling," he said, taking the towel. "I didn't want to get the floor all wet just to get to it, so thank you for your assistance," and then he winked.

I nodded in response and quickly fled the bathroom.

•••

Louis entered the room wearing a very dapper suit and tie that clung to every curve of his body. He released a puff of air, almost like a sigh, and approached me. "Hey, baby," he said, kissing my forehead.

"Here's your coffee," I said, handing him a mug of hot coffee.

"You're literally the best, you know that?" He said, taking the mug from me.

I smiled up at him and watched as he walked into the living room to sit down. Suddenly, an image of the woman from last night flashed through my mind. "Um, Louis," I began, tucking my hair behind my ear. He hummed in response. "I have a question."

"And what's that, babe?" He responded.

"That woman from last night...who is she?" I asked.

Louis crossed one leg over the other and took a sip of his coffee. "Abrielle Laurent. She is the fiancée of one of my competitors, Bryce Farce. She's been trying to sleep with me for the past two tears now."

Oh.

"Wow, okay," I mumbled and awkwardly turned toward the coffee maker.

"But I don't lay down with sluts who have no backbone," he said.

Ouch!

"Okay, I wouldn't call her that now," I said.

"She's been engaged for five months and she's had three sex scandals with men that are obviously not her fiancée," he explained.

"Oh," I muttered, turning back around to see him relaxing back into the couch. 

"I'd feel bad for the guy, but you know," he said and sipped his coffee like a king.

I shook my head and turned back to the pot of coffee, pouring myself a cup before joining Louis on the couch. I tried to take a sip of the coffee, but it was way too hot as it burned my tongue. I reached forward and set the cup down onto the coffee table.

"I want to come see what you do one day," I blurted out, and is that a stupid idea? He barely ever talks about his job, which sparks the curiosity in me. But then again, I wonder if he wants to keep it separate from his personal life. "But that's if you're okay with that. I'm just curious."

Louis furrowed his brows for a second as he thought. "You want to visit me at my job?"

"Yeah, I think it would be kind of cool and interesting. I don't know," I said with a smile and small shrug.

Louis looked over at me with a raised brow. "To watch me work?"

"Yep," I said.

"I have meetings all day today, so it wouldn't be appropriate to bring you along," he said but pondered for a second. "But you can come along tomorrow if you'd like. I will only be there for an hour or two."

"Yeah, I would love to tag along," I said and grinned.

Louis smiled in response and took another drink of his coffee before setting it down on the coffee table and standing up.

"Well, I best be going. The boss can't be late for his own meeting," he said and chuckled.

"I guess not," I said and laughed with him, but I also found it quite hot how he referred to himself as 'the boss'. Am I weird for that? 

He hummed and moved to stand in front of me between my legs before he was leaning down. He caged me in between his arms, one hand pressed into the arm of the couch and the other in the cushion beneath me. I felt his lips touch the outer curvature of my ear. "I'll see you when I get home, right?" He asked, his voice a bit deeper but soft.

"I mean, I guess. I'll get this place cleaned up and then probably go home, so it depends on what time you get home," I said.

"I won't be home until after ten tonight," he said. "Think you can wait for me?"

"I would have no choice but to stay another night then because I won't feel like going home," I said and saw how his lips turned into a little smirk.

"Exactly. So I'll see you when I get home," he said, kissing my cheek before moving away to look me in the eye. I stared up into his blue eyes and they looked like the Mediterranean Sea. It felt like he was almost trying to mesmerize me into staying the night again, and I think it worked.

"Yeah," I breathed out.

Louis continued to stare down at me and I eventually looked away from his eyes. "I'm going to miss you," he said and I just rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, Lou?"

Louis chuckled and pressed his face against my neck. His aroma was strong and I breathed it in deep. He smelled like soap and vanilla. I felt his lips press against my neck and traveled up to my jawline.

"Louis," I breathed out and pressed my hand against his shoulder. "You've got to go to work."

Louis hummed and continued to kiss along my skin.

"You're going to be late," I said.

He finally pulled away but leaned in for a kiss, which I gladly allowed.

"God, I want to ravish you right here on this couch," he whispered seductively, his eyes switching between my eyes and lips.

My lower abdomen heated up with arousal, but I tried my best to ignore it. "It's nearly seven," I said as my attempt to ignore the nagging arousal.

He groaned and leaned away. "I'll see you when I get home." He pecked my lips one more time before straightening up. "You be good," and then he winked. I watched as he finally left and I was alone in the penthouse.

I looked around and sighed.

How does Louis live here alone? It's such a big place for one person. Maybe he feels lonely here, so he wants me to stay. I wouldn't blame him if he felt lonely.

I stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen where I thought I should start cleaning.

•••

The house was finally clean, and I was standing in the middle of the living room, scanning the place from top to bottom to make sure I didn't miss anything. Things seemed to be spotless.

I heard something behind me, which made me jump a little in my skin. I quickly turned around and saw a window washer cleaning the glass. He noticed how I reacted and probably figured that he scared me and gave me an apologetic smile.

I sighed and turned around but then jumped again when I saw Clifford sitting at my feet, his tail wagging side to side and brown eyes staring up at me. I wonder if Louis takes him for walks often. Since the time I've been here, I haven't seen Louis take him anywhere except to use the bathroom and then come right back. Truthfully, Louis is a very busy man.

"You have a leash, bud?"

Clifford stared up at me, panting.

I went in search for a leash and checked in all the possible places that I could be: the drawers in the kitchen for a possible junk drawer, Louis' room, and then finally a closet near the front door that held a few jackets. I spotted a red leash and disposable bags. I took it out and sat the items on the counter in the kitchen before wandering into Louis' room. I went in search of a comb of some sort to comb my hair out.

I searched through his bathroom and eventually found a comb in a drawer. I brushed the knots from my hair and wiped my face with a wet rag. And since I didn't have any clothes of my own, I decided to stick to the clothes I already had on. I could always go back to my place and grab a change of clothes then come back. I would stay home but Louis wants me to spend another night.

I left the bathroom and grabbed Clifford's leash and disposable bags. I whistled for him and he came trotting in. "Ready for a walk, bud?" I asked, not expecting him to respond of course verbally, but I noticed how his eyes lit up and his tailed started wagging vigorously.

Once I had his leash hooked to his collar, I led him onto the elevator. As I made it to the lobby, I noticed Ida getting out of a silver vehicle with a few Louis Vuitton bags possibly filled with clothes. I heard her say a quick 'thank you' to her driver and walked up with a smile.

"Hello there, Clifford," she greeted Louis' dog before looking up at me. "Madam." She nodded her head to me.

"Ms. Winchester," I said back and smiled before moving along.

I walked out with Clifford and began our very much needed walk. The summer air felt warm against my skin. The sun was blistering hot, which made me regret wearing what I had on. There weren't many people out and about in the area.

I allowed Clifford to use the bathroom and I cleaned up his mess with the disposable bags. We continued to walk in search of a trash can or a dumpster. We walked about a block and found a dumpster in an alleyway where I just tossed the bag into.

We continued to walk and I could feel myself slightly sweating from the heat. An older man walking by grinned down at Clifford. "Wonderful dog you've got there, Miss," he commented.

"He's actually not mine, but thank you!" I said.

"Oh!" He stopped and looked back down at Clifford. "Do you know what breed he is?" He asked.

"I'm pretty sure he's a labradoodle," I said, ruffling the curly hair on Clifford's head.

"May I?" The man asked, gesturing towards the dog to basically ask if he could pet him.

"Sure! He's friendly," I said.

He reached his hand down and allowed Clifford to smell him before petting him on his head. "You have a beautiful day, Miss. It was very lovely talking to you," he said after he finished petting Clifford.

"You too, sir," I said back.

"Oh! I didn't catch your name," he said and smiled.

"Madison," I responded before he was reaching a hand out to me, which I gladly took.

"I'm Bobby," he introduced himself.

"Good talking to you, Bobby."

We then parted ways and he was going the opposite way of me. I felt sweat dribbling down my back. The discomfort of the heat had me turning on my heel to go back, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a pair of girls walking towards me, their eyes locked on me for some reason. Something flashed through their eyes. Surprise? Maybe realization? But of what, exactly? It confused me.

The teen girls approached me.

"Are you Louis Tomlinson's girlfriend?" One of the girls with short, blonde hair asked.

"Umm," I began as my brain searched frantically for a response. "Uh...excuse me, I've got to get going." I tried walking around them but they moved in front of me, causing a bit of panic inside of me.

"We saw pictures of you and him together going on a date yesterday. Are you really who we think you are?" She continued and her friend who had long, black hair stood jittery beside her. "You and the woman have the same big nose."

I blinked, taken back by her words because excuse me? "I've really got to be—"

"Isn't this Louis' dog?" She pressed, and my god, may I please get away?

"Excuse me," I nearly growled.

"May we get a picture with you?" She asked.

Her friend already had her phone pulled out and ready to take a picture. The blonde stood next to me while the dark haired girl with the phone took the picture. I had a sort of uncomfortable smile on my face as she snapped the picture, and then the pair were switching places so that the dark haired girl could a get a picture with me.

My heart was beating hard and fast in my chest from the amount of anxiety and panic that built up within me.

"Thank you so much!" The blonde said.

"It was really nice meeting you!" The dark haired girl said too.

They then walked off, leaving me confused and out of breath. People are actually noticing me? God, that's scary. I can't believe that one girl told me I had a big nose! She was so rude.

I rushed back to the complex and into the elevator before shoving the key into the lock. When the doors shut, I released a relieved breath when I knew I was safe.

Clifford and I made it up to the penthouse, the doors sliding open to the clean foyer. I took his leash off and he trotted over to his water bowl. I could use a glass of cold water right now. That sun was sweltering.

I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with cold water from the refrigerator. I nearly chugged it and I could feel the coldness of it in my chest.

God, I need a shower. I feel absolutely disgusting with these sweaty clothes on. Hopefully I didn't look really sweaty in those pictures. I groaned at the thought of me looking gross in the pictures and put my empty glass in the dishwasher. If those pictures get out and more people figure out I'm seeing Louis, I will dig myself a ditch and just die in it.

I walked into Louis' room and straight into the bathroom for a shower. I turned the shower on and turned the handle to a cooler temperature than hot. I jumped in the shower and sighed when the cold water collided with my skin.

Once I had freshened up, I went in search of some of Louis' clothes that I could wear until I got some clothes from my apartment. I was able to find another pair of sweatpants and a plain white tee shirt. I thought about my small encounter with Ms. Winchester and curiosity sparked within me. I've never really had a conversation with her before, so it would be nice to go to her place and properly meet her.

I don't have oatmeal cookies though...

I can order some and have them delivered here so I can take them to her. It would be nice to have a good chat with her. Grabbing my phone, I downloaded a delivery app and ordered a thing of oatmeal cookies. Once they were ordered and a guy named Andrew was said to be delivering them to me, so I just went off into the living room and waited patiently on the couch, even watching a random episode of Friends.

About twenty minutes later, I heard the elevator and a 'hello, I have delivery of baked oatmeal cookies here for this address', so I got up and rounded the corner where a man stood with the box of cookies. "Thank you so much," I said politely and smiled as I took the cookies from him.

He stared at me for a second, almost like he was trying to remember something. "You're—"

"Goodbye!" I quickly said and reached into the elevator to press the 'down' button.

"Wait!" He said but the doors slid shut before he could get anything else out. I pressed my back against the doors and leaned my head against them, breathing out a sigh. That was so rude. I didn't even let the poor guy finish what he was going to say. He probably wasn't going to say anything about me seeing Louis.

Okay, time to go meet Ms. Winchester. I need to talk to the receptionist first in order to get up to her house.

I hope Ms. Winchester didn't leave somewhere again...

I got onto the elevator and went down to the lobby with the box of cookies. The same receptionist that told me to speak to Ms. Winchester was sitting behind the desk, tapping away at a computer. "Hey, is there anyway you can get me up to Ms. Winchester's room?" I asked the woman.

She looked away from her computer to see who I was and then looked down at the cookies and smiled. "I see you've taken my advice. Sure, I can get you up there." She stood up from her chair and came around the desk. She had a key in hand and beckoned me over to the elevator. She stuck a key in 'PH53' and the light lit up. "Go ahead," she said, and I stepped onto the elevator.

The doors slid shut and ascended up to Ms. Winchester's place and opened up to a foyer that looked slightly different than Louis'. "Ms. Winchester?" I called out. I heard a bit of shuffling before a beautiful, classy old lady walked out of the kitchen. Her eyes landed on me and then she smiled when she realized that she has seen me a few times. "Oh, hello there, dear!" She said so sweetly.

"Hi, Ms. Winchester, I thought that I should meet Louis' neighbor, so I've brought you some oatmeal cookies," I said.

Her eyes lit up with pure joy and happiness. "Oh! You shouldn't have! Please, come in, come in!" She insisted and beckoned me in.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Madison  
** _Tuesday, July 29th_

I was snapped out of thought as Ida placed a hot cup of tea in front of me and then made her way around the coffee table to sit on another couch. She had a cup of tea as well and she sipped at it before crossing one leg over the other.

"What's your name, darling? Tell me a bit about yourself," she said, smiling. Her eyes were bright and crinkled at the corners. She didn't seem to be too old. It looks like she takes great care of herself by how youthful she appears to be, but I can tell she's up in age.

"Madison Quinn. I moved here recently from Miami, Florida," I said, reaching out for my mug. I carefully grabbed it and brought the glass up to my lips to take a taste of the tea she had made for me.

Ida hummed, bopping her foot up and down. "And how do you know Louis?" She asked, her eyes squinting quizzically at me. She sipped her tea once more.

"I'm his—Um...we're seeing each other," I said in all honesty.

She chuckled softly and ran the top of her index finger around the brim of her cup over and over and over. "And you clean his penthouse?" Her eyes flicked up to stare into mine as she grinned slightly.

"Well, yeah...I'm employed under him as his personal maid," I admitted. "That's how we met..."

"Sleeping with your boss?" She quirked an eyebrow. "A bit unprofessional if you'd ask me..."

I swallowed so hard that I'm sure she heard it.

"But I understand. He's young and attractive, so I don't blame you. It sure won't be an easy concept for the public to understand though," she said.

"I don't care what the public thinks," I said.

She tried to hold back a laugh. "Oh, hunny," she said as she shook her head and then leaned forward to place her tea down on the coffee table between us. "You say that now. They're so judgmental, it'll eventually drive you crazy. It's not an easy thing to ignore. It takes so much within people like Louis or I to block them out because they're always there saying something. But I guess you can at least try."

I began to chew on the inside of my cheek out of nervousness. Ida seemed to have noticed when she just had to comment.

"Did you know chewing on the inside of your cheek like that can make you more susceptible to oral cancer?"

I stared at her blankly but immediately stopped biting my inner cheek. "No," I mumbled, casting my eyes down at my mug, "I didn't."

"You be careful around that man," she blurted out, which gained my attention and had me quite confused.

"Be careful? Of Louis?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, nodding her head.

"Umm...why?" He seems like a pretty great guy to me. I don't know what I would possibly need to be careful of when it comes to him.

"His behavior and tendencies. He's a CEO of a company. He's got to be demanding. If the man wants something, he's going to get it and he'll make sure he does. He's also got quite the temper," she explained.

Huh...

"He seems pretty nice and patient to me," I said, shrugging. "I've never had any problems." That's such a lie. The man forces money on me and gets angry if I don't listen. But he's not too bad.

"Louis likes to be in control. It's what he does for a living. Once a relationship is established, he'll flip a switch and take full control," she said.

I frowned because what? That doesn't sound like Louis at all. He's way too much of a sweetheart, so I don't think he would be very controlling. Sure, he's controlling over some things but that's men, right?

"He'll strip you of your independence," she added, basically pouring more gas into the fire.

"He's a gentleman, Ms. Winchester. I think you've got the wrong idea about him," I said and chuckled uncomfortably.

"Oh! I'm not saying he's a bad man, Madison. He's a very charming and sweet man, don't get me wrong! The kindest man I've ever been blessed to know. I'm just saying, he will take complete charge in order to take care of you and protect you. It's all in good intentions, but it's not something all women find empowering or comfortable," she said further.

I swallowed hard and looked away so I was no longer meeting her crystal blue eyes. "How do you know all this?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Him and I have discussed a few things in the past, and I'm very observant when it comes to behavior and personality. Don't think I'm trying to sabotage the chemistry you two have together, I just want you to be aware of the man you're messing with," she said, sipping her tea as I sat trying to piece it all together and understand it all. "But if you're okay with everything I told you, I'd say go for it."

"And how far does 'complete charge' go to?" I asked.

"You will not work, you'll be at his side at all times, you will live under his roof, you will follow his rules, you won't go anywhere without him knowing your location, he'll take over your finances, and so on," she listed.

"Oh," I mumbled.

"And I wouldn't mention this conversation to him," she said, her eyes almost looking like they were practically begging me not to say anything to Louis about it.

I shook my head. "Of course not."

"He'll show his true colors once a relationship is established. He charms his way in before he shows the controlling CEO with little patience and a short temper. But he'll definitely make sure you have anything and everything you need and want. He's not a bad man at all. He's a real softie that would do anything for anyone, so don't get the wrong idea. I just want to make sure you're aware and prepared instead of it being a shock or a surprise," she explained further.

"Oh, yeah. I understand," I said.

"He's a very dominant man, so he's stubborn and will stand his ground," she added. 

"So are you telling me not to date him?" I asked.

Her eyes blew wide and she began to panic. "Oh no, no, no! I just want you to be aware, like I said. I'm not trying to drive you away from him,"she said. "I'm just saying, you will be dependent on him. If you're okay with that, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

I awkwardly sipped my tea and stared down at the floor. Everything she told me raced through my head, causing my heart to pound hard and fast against my chest. I'm not sure how to feel now. Should I be worried? Is it really as bad as she's saying it is? Who knows, she could be exaggerating it a little bit. God, just when you think you meet the perfect guy, there's always something about them that makes them too good to be true. It kind of knocks you back into reality.

"Are you worried?" Ida asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked up at her to see her looking at me with concern evident on her face as her brows were knitted together. I bit my lip and looked back down at the floor. "A little bit...I'm just not sure how to feel. I don't want to think that he's a bad idea."

"I don't want you to think that he is a bad idea either, hun. I say if he does something that makes you uncomfortable, confront him about it. You be upfront if he does something that you don't like. He's not so used to anyone telling him no since he's the one in charge, but maybe you will be that 'no' in his life," she said.

Oh god, that's even more terrifying! I'd be way too scared to stand up to him. He's scary...

"Just think about it. Give it a whirl with him and see how comfortable you are. If it works out, great! If it doesn't work out, that's okay because sometimes things just don't work out. It's life," she said.

I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders at this point. My head was jumbling with decisions and thoughts. What do I want? I obviously want him, but do I want him? As in everything that comes with him? As in everything he is as a human being?

I'm drawing a blank...

"Now, we never talked about this," Ida interrupted again and I looked up to see her narrowing her eyes at me.

"Yes, ma'am," I said with a nod of my head and sipped at my tea awkwardly.

•••

I anticipated the moment he would step off that elevator. I fucking anticipated it. There were a million times in the last couple hours where I just felt like escaping back to my apartment and just never come back. I don't know if I'm being dramatic, which I probably am. Ida freaked me out! I have no idea exactly what I'm in for with Louis.

Louis also can't know that I spoke with Ida, so it might be a little obvious that I did if I just cut all contact with him. I'm probably overreacting and acting a fool once again. I just need 'anxiety' stamped on my forehead because that's honestly all I am, a walking anxiety.

I checked the time on the cable box to the TV as I sat on the couch waiting for Louis to arrive home. It was 10:20 PM. He's supposed to get home at 10:30 PM.

Suddenly, I heard the elevator. The doors slid open and revealed the attractive man. He looked a bit stressed and tired, but his lips formed a smile when his eyes locked onto me. "Hey, baby," he began as he approached me. He kissed the top of my head and came around the couch, loosening his tie in the process. God, why is that so hot?

"Would you just look at you," he began and grinned. "Those sweatpants are quite familiar and it's not just because they're mine."

I looked down to see what he was talking about and realized that they're the same sweatpants that I bled in. "Yeah," I sighed, "let's not talk about that..."

He chuckled and sat down beside me. "This old man is exhausted." He rested his head back against the back of the couch and shut his eyes.

"Then maybe this old man should get to bed," I said, patting his thigh. 

He peeked an eye open to look at me. "So you're agreeing that I am old?"

"You're way older than me, so yeah, you're pretty old," I teased and nudged him in the side with my elbow.

He chuckled and I couldn't help but notice how his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. His neck looked good enough for my lips to attach themselves to it. I honestly have this feeling of wanting to make him moan. It's hard to reserve myself from him sometimes because he looks very appealing.

Louis ran a single hand through his hair before looking over at me to notice that I was, in fact, staring at him. "What?" He grinned, flashing his pretty teeth at me, and his eyes crinkling so cutely at the corners.

"May I kiss you? Like, on your lips for a long second?" I asked.

He laughed a little before leaning toward me so that his face was only inches away from mine. I couldn't help but look down at his lips. I noticed how he licked his bottom lip and then gently bit it. "And how long is a 'long second' exactly?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me. He brought his hand up to caress my jawline and his thumb ran along my plump bottom lip.

"A second that doesn't last a second but lasts way longer than just a second," I said.

The chuckle he released was so hot, it was practically sex to me. I wanted to moan his name. I couldn't stop looking down at his lips as he inched closer until they were pressed against my own lips. My eyes fluttered shut and butterflies exploded in my stomach.

We gently kissed for a bit, but he was beginning to get a little wound up. Our tongues eventually ended up in each other's mouths and then Louis was on top of me on the couch. His pelvis was pressed against mine and I could feel his excitement. My eyes flew open when I felt one of his hands trailing down to the waistband of my sweatpants.

"Louis," I said, gripping his wrist.

He looked down at me out of concern.

"I don't think I want to, like—...go any farther tonight," I admitted.

I saw the sexual frustration flash across his face, but he quickly covered it up with a smile. I wonder what he would've done if we were in a relationship. Would he have gotten mad at me? I basically told the man no. Maybe I'm just overthinking everything Ida told me and he's actually not that bad.

"That's fine, love," he said, bringing a hand up to my face to brush a few strands of hair away. "I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

I pecked his lips and smiled. "I very much appreciate your respect, Mr. Tomlinson." I saw the man cringe when I called him his formal name.

"Please, love," he said, laughing awkwardly. "It's a bit weird to be so formal with me now."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "You're being dramatic."

"I've seen you naked. I don't think I'm being dramatic," he said.

"Whatever you say, boss," I said just to make him cringe even more and playfully punched his shoulder.

He groaned and removed himself off of me. "Don't call me that!" He whined.

"How about boss man?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. 

He looked down at me with an amused grin on his face. "No. Don't call me that either."

"What about big cheese?" I asked this time.

"Oh god, no! Anything but that one," he laughed, grabbing one of the pillows from off the couch and hitting me over the head with it. "Come on, now. Let's get to bed. I need some sleep."

"Hey!" I grumbled and threw the pillow at him as he tried to walk away. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly to the side to see me out of the corner of his eye. "You hit me first, so don't give me that side eye."

Louis turned around and then got back on top of me, making me giggle beneath him. "You're asking for it, Missy." Okay, that's hot.

"Asking for what, big boss?" I pressed.

"For throwing a pillow at me," he said, grabbing my wrists and pulling them over my head to pin them down.

"You hit me first, so I let you have a taste of your own medicine," I said and stuck my tongue out at him.

His eyes were now focused on my mouth. "I'm in charge, so you better behave."

E-Excuse me!?

I was speechless and he knew because he smirked and removed himself from me. I watched as he walked away to go to his room.

•••

"I see you've made yourself at home."

Louis had found my clothes that I quickly went to get before he got home. I had them neatly folded up inside his dresser for when I stay the night. "Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to have some clothes here for when I stay." I was currently wearing a pair of gray jogging shorts and a white tank top. I fluffed the pillow beneath my head before resting against it and pulling the sheets over my body. "You coming to bed, old man?"

Louis shut the drawer of the dresser and turned to me with a grin. "You're really asking for it tonight, aren't you?"

"Don't you want to cuddle?" I asked and pouted.

"I want to do more than cuddling," he said, winking at me before he removed his blazer and draped it over the chair in the corner of the room, then began to unbutton his white button-up. I just lied there and watched as he basically stripped in front of me.

Once his shirt was completely unbuttoned, he climbed up the bed from the bottom until he was on top of me. I didn't even hesitate when I reached a hand out and touched his chest, running my hand across his tattoos. He just stared down at me with adoring eyes as I took a single fingertip and traced the '78' tattoo on his left peck. He gently grabbed my hand and pressed a kiss against my palm.

"I've been waiting for you," he said, his voice soft and endearing.

"Waiting for me?" I questioned.

He hummed and leaned down to land another kiss on the tip of my nose. "Yes. You're everything I've been looking for, Madison. I want to get to know you more. I want to create and build something with you. So if you'd allow me..."

I gulped, staring up into his beautiful blues. "Okay," I whispered loud enough for him to hear. This is so unreal. I've got to be dreaming. There's no way in hell would I actually become a maid, my multi-billionaire boss takes a liking to me, and then end up sleeping with him and living his lifestyle all of a sudden. It sounds crazy, doesn't it? And I can't get what Ida told me out of my head. That's the one thing that worries me. Will he be that way?

"You look unsure," he said with furrowed brows. "Are you unsure?"

I shook my head. "No, I was just thinking about something else. No worries..."

He stared down at me as we both went silent. I felt awkward staring back at him, so I let my eyes drop to his chest. My hands wanted to touch his skin again, so I brought one up and tucked it underneath his shirt so my hand was on his bare skin on his shoulder.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked in the midst of silence.

"Comfortable?" I asked.

"With me. Are you comfortable with me?" He had this look of worry as his eyes tried to read me. Do I look uncomfortable? Crap, he's observing my behavior.

"Yeah! Of course I am," I said, my voice a bit high pitched. He frowned and then got up. He looked hurt. "Wait, why'd you get up?"

"You're lying," he said, his eyes cold. I've never seen them look that way, which honestly scared me a little. I don't want to upset this man.

"Am not," I said. "Why would you think I'm lying?"

"The pitch of your voice is higher than usual," he said, pulling his open shirt off. He went off into his closet and then came back with a band shirt of some sorts, tugging it over his head and pulling it down his body.

"Well, I'm not lying, so the pitch of my voice has nothing to do with it," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

We made eye contact again as he undid his belt on his trousers. I quickly looked away because it felt a bit weird.

"You're not telling me something," he said, making my heart stop a little in my chest. "I can see it in your eyes. And the fact you keep trying to avoid eye contact really gives it away."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Or maybe it's because I'm an awkward person and I can't look people in the eyes."

"Or you're awkward around me for some damn reason that's unknown to me because you haven't had a problem making eye contact with me before," he said. "There's something you know that's making you uncomfortable around me. You looked tense when I walked through the door. Now tell me what's going on."

"Nothing, Louis. There's nothing," I said.

His eyes stayed locked on me as he pulled his belt from his trousers. "I don't like secrets." He was quite intimidating to say the least.

I swallowed hard and pulled the sheets up closer to my chin. "I don't have any."

"Why did you have cookies delivered here?" He questioned this time, which made me tense up. "And where did you take them to after receiving them?"

Shit! How does he know all of this!?

"Were you spying on me?" I asked, my eyes squinted to glare at him.

"It's only 'spying' when you're up to no good," he said, making me purse my lips shut. "My house is monitored by cameras to see who is in my house."

I kept silent, not wanting to give Ida or I away. He would be upset if he knew what we talked about. I don't want to hurt his feelings and see that sad look on his face. It would actually crush me.

Louis pulled his trousers off so that he was left in his boxer briefs. "We'll talk about this tomorrow evening. We need to be up and out of here by seven tomorrow morning."

"I don't think I want to go to work with you anymore," I mumbled.

He walked over and pulled the sheets back on his side so he could get in the bed. "You said you wanted to go, so you're going."

"I don't want to go any—"

"You're going. End of story," he cut me off before he got in the bed. "Now get some sleep." He turned the light off and the room filled with darkness. I lied there staring up at the ceiling as he had his back facing me. I didn't think speaking to Ida would've gotten me in this much trouble. I don't know what the hell to do. Do I tell him? Does he already know but just wants me to say it? I am actually so stupid.

I turned away from him so my back was facing his and stared out of the window at all the lights of the city. It would have been very satisfying if it wasn't for the argument Louis and I had. Our first argument and we aren't even in a relationship yet. It's all my fault, really. Maybe I shouldn't have spoken to Ida. Or maybe I shouldn't have let her words bother me as much as they have. I could have avoided this whole tiff with him.

Maybe he'll forget about it tomorrow?


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Madison  
** _Wednesday, July 20th_

I cracked my eyes open to the jingle of my alarm going off on the nightstand, so I peeked over at Louis and he didn't seem bothered by the alarm. Reaching my hand over, I grabbed my phone and turned the alarm off before sitting up. It was still dark out, so the room was pitch black.

I eventually forced myself out of the bed and padded out to the kitchen, releasing a yawn as I approached the coffee maker. I grabbed the pot and placed it on the coffee maker, put it in a new filter and filled it with coffee grounds, and then pressed start. After that, I walked right back to the room to get a shower.

Louis was still fast asleep. His lashes lied softly against his cheeks and his hair look a bed-head mess, but it was adorable, despite the heated argument we had the night before. I was then standing at the edge of the bed, looking down at him. I gently caressed his cheek before leaning down and pressing a kiss against his forehead. He didn't react but just lied there still. I smiled at his peacefulness.

Once I was in the bathroom, I started up the shower and had the clothes I was going to wear ready for me to put on. I stepped into the shower, the warm spray hitting my skin. A soft moan escaped my lips because of the warmth. It's slightly chilly in the house, so a warm shower feels really good right now.

I finished up my shower as fast as possible since Louis needs to get in and hopped out to dry off. The clothes I was going to wear looked professional, almost like I was about to go work for him. I slipped on my white blouse and black pants, and I tucked the blouse into the pants. I stared into the mirror at myself and saw the business lady in me. I looked kind of cute, and I think I'd look cuter next to Louis.

As I was trying to do my hair, Louis walked in. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'll go ahead and leave so you can—"

"No, continue what you're doing," he said, starting up the shower. I continued with my hair, but I couldn't help but keep looking at him through the mirror as he pulled his shirt up and off his body. He reached out to feel the water before turning the faucet to a warmer setting. The way his muscles moved in his back was very appealing. He may not be the most built man on this earth, but he's definitely toned. The man's body is practically shaped like an hour glass, kind of. I'm watching this man strip. Is this what he wants? To tease me?

Louis finally took his sweatpants off, along with his boxers, and got into the shower, his back still facing me. I quickly looked away by the time he turned around. I finished my hair and left the bathroom immediately after.

The coffee was done brewing by the time I made it to the kitchen, so I poured Louis and I a cup of coffee each to take with us. I took a small sip of mine, the hot liquid scorching my mouth. I think they need time to cool a little bit.

I went off back to Louis' room and grabbed my small makeup bag. I need a little color on my face. I sat on the bed and unzipped the bag, pulling out a tube of mascara, a nude eyeshadow, and a pink lip gloss. I quickly applied the makeup to my face so I still had time to take Clifford out before we go. I shoved all of my makeup back into the bag and tossed it into my drawer of clothes.

Clifford was already sat waiting at the elevator. I grabbed his leash and clipped it onto his collar before calling for the elevator with the button.

By the time I made it back from Clifford's mini walk, I noticed that Louis still wasn't ready yet. I hung Clifford's leash up and took a seat on the couch where I patiently waited for Louis. But after a few minutes, I heard him enter the room.

I looked back to see Louis wearing a black button-up, black slacks, a black freckled gray blazer, and black shoes. His hair was styled back oh-so-perfectly, and I could tell he didn't shave as he had some stubble covering his jawline, chin, and upper lip. It was very attractive though.

"I made you a cup of coffee to take with you," I said as I got up from the couch and walked over to where I had the coffees waiting. I grabbed Louis' cup and handed it to him. "I also took Clifford out for you."

"Thank you, darling," he said softly and took the cup. "It's seven, so come along."

He headed for the elevator, so I followed behind. We boarded the elevator and the doors slid shut. Louis stood quietly beside me, which made me really awkward because he's usually talking about something. God, it's killing me! "How did you sleep?" I asked to just rid us of the awkward silence.

"It was alright. I'm sure it could've been better," he said, tucking his hands in his pockets and raising his chin up. Was that a shot at me?

I looked down at the floor of the elevator until the doors opened up to the lobby. A black range rover sat waiting outside. We exited the building and approached the vehicle. Louis opened the door for me and placed a hand on my lower back as I climbed in. He got in behind me and buckled up. I looked over at him but he wouldn't look back at me.

I sighed and pulled my phone out of my back pocket to busy myself. There wasn't much of anything that was too interesting, except that my best friend Emerson is having her fun in Bermuda without telling me she was even going there...with a man that I didn't know about. Interesting...

Louis was still sitting quietly in his seat, which was excruciating because I just wanted to hear his voice already. I locked my phone and put it away in my pocket. I decided to close my eyes for a bit and rest my eyes. Today is obviously going to be a long day.

I nodded off a few times, my head falling forward, but I quickly shot back up every time.

"You can lean on me if you'd like," Louis said, making my head shoot up when it fell forward for the millionth time. I looked over and saw him looking at me, a smile tugging at his lips, probably out of amusement of my head falling forward. I took up his offer and leaned against his shoulder, his arm wrapping around me. "You look very beautiful this morning," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. I smiled and closed my eyes.

Due to traffic, we didn't make it to the building until half and hour later before Louis was waking me up. My eyes peeled open and saw us approaching a tall, glass building with a large logo on the top of it that said 'LT' on it. The vehicle pulled up to the front of the building before a man was opening up the door. Louis stepped out of the car, and there were a few paparazzi getting their early morning snaps of The Louis Tomlinson. Louis assisted me out of the car and wrapped a protective arm around my waist, giving me a reassuring smile.

The flashes were a bit blinding, but we eventually made it into the building. He didn't drop his arm, which had several eyes on me. I avoided the eyes and looked around to notice the very luxurious interior of the building and how busy it was. Several employees said a polite 'good morning' to Louis as we walked by. I was in complete awe at how beautiful the place was and how polite everyone was.

We boarded an elevator and I noticed the many buttons. It went all the way up to the number fifty-seven and Louis ended up pressing that button. His office must be all the way up there. "Are you alright?" Louis asked, making me quickly look up at him.

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine. This place is overwhelmingly beautiful," I said. "And busy..."

He chuckled. "You haven't seen busy yet."

The doors slid open and revealed a mess of people running around, phones ringing, and people talking. It's even busier on this floor. I guess this is the CEO headquarters or whatever it's called.

As we walked down the hall, a few women gave me hard looks. I hooked my arm with Louis and he looked down to make sure I was okay, but he didn't question me. We approached a double-door and Louis opened it to a large office. "Feel free to have a seat and relax," he said, directing me to a white leather couch.

I sat down and the couch was actually really comfortable. I watched as he walked around his desk and took a seat in the black leather chair. He opened a laptop and began his work. I sat quietly and looked around. His desk had to be made out of oak or something, the couches white leather, the floors hardwood, and an electric fireplace with a large television mounted over top. I sat silently doing nothing and just listened to the tapping of Louis' keyboard. I got up from the couch and walked over to the pair of white leather chairs that sat at the front of his desk, so I plopped down into one of them and watched him. He peeked up from his computer at me to see me sitting there, so I smiled cutely.

Louis pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his blazer and slid them on before tending back to his work. I stared at him because he looked so hot. I finally got to see what he looked like with those glasses on. "Shit," I mumbled under my breath.

"Hmm?" Louis hummed, looking back up at me again.

I cleared my throat. "Nothing, sir. I mean—Louis." I then gave him a winning smile.

He released a small laugh and winked, causing my heart to melt in my chest. I honestly felt like coming across the desk to give him the biggest, sloppiest kiss and not even worry about what else it could possibly lead to...

The door suddenly opened and in came a lady dressed in a white button-up and a gray pencil skirt. She looked very worried and almost scared. "Uh, Mr. Tomlinson," she spoke quite nervously.

"Cassandra, please come in," Louis said.

The woman stepped in, her heals clicking loud against the floor in the silence. "May I speak to you privately about something?" She asked, her eyes looking to me and then back at Louis. "It's urgent..."

The natural smile on Louis' face disappeared immediately before his eyes landed on me. "There's a lounge space outside to your left. Help yourself to some coffee or a snack. I'll let you know when you can come back in," he instructed me.

I stood up and left Louis' office in search of this lounge. I went halfway down the hall and to the left is where I found the lounge. It looked pretty comfortable. A few black leather couches, a flat screen television mounted on the wall, a counter covered in snacks, and a see-through mini refrigerator that held a plethora of beverages. I was then standing in front of the counter, scanning the variety of snacks before my eyes landed on a pack of peanut butter crackers. I plopped down on one of the couches and opened my pack of crackers, looking up at the television to see what was on, and it was some interior design show for houses.

After a few minutes, I heard a door and loud, angry footsteps and heels clicking following behind. Louis walked by and he looked like he was fuming and trying his hardest not to explode. His jaw was tightly clenched and his eyes were cold and hard. His petite assistant followed close behind, trying to say something.

"Mr. Tomlinson, David is in a meeting right now. He—"

"I don't care. I don't think anything could possibly be more important than me losing an important client because of his lousy, careless mistakes. Pull him out of there," Louis said sternly.

I got up and peaked around the corner to see them approaching a conference room that had an active meeting going on. Cassandra hesitantly opened the door and went in, interrupting the conference. Through the glass, I noticed a man go sheet-white before slowly standing up and gathering his things.

Louis looked over and met my eyes, causing me to pop back behind the wall. I rushed over to the couch and sat down, nibbling on a cracker before Louis appeared in the doorway with his hands tucked into his pockets. "You alright here?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm all good," I said, lifting my crackers up to show him that I was just relaxing.

His lips quirked up a little at the corners. His eyes caught sight of the television and then fell back on me. "Feel free to change the channel if you want. The remote should be somewhere in that entertainment center," he said. "I have a few things to straighten out, so I'll be a little bit."

"That's fine. I'll be right here," I said and smiled to reassure him.

Louis smiled back before turning to watch as David walked by, and he was still white as a ghost. Louis' face hardened again as he was practically glaring at the slightly older man. He followed Cassandra and David back to his office and the door slammed shut once they were in.

•••

The shouting went on and on for ten minutes straight, something about 'this is the last time you cost me my company' and 'give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't fire you.' I awkwardly sipped at my bottled water as I watched some reality TV show. It was basically a rip off of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. I noticed how Louis' office went silent in a second and stayed like that for five minutes. The door opened and that's when I perked up. David passed by the entrance of the lounge and he looked really disheveled and out of it.

Cassandra popped around the corner with a forced smile. "You may come back in now." I got up and followed her back into Louis' office, and then she shut the door as she left in a hurry. Louis was standing with his hands in his pockets and looking out of the window that overlooked the city.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, but asking him such a stupid question like that was a mistake when he released a fake chuckle and shook his head, finally turning to look at me.

"The man had one job," he said, walking over to his desk before pounding on it with his fist with each word as he shouted, "One fucking job!" It nearly had me jumping out of my skin. "This is the third time he's screwed me over! I gave him so many chances to prove himself to me, but then he loses one of my important clients." He began to pace back and forth. "The man begs me to keep his job. I guess this is my fault. I should've fired him last week when he fucked up the second time. I kept the idiot employed and in charge of that client."

I gulped, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Louis' desk. I sat quietly and listened to him rant even more.

Louis snorted and shook his head. "Let me beg for my job but lose an important client. How fucking careless could he have been!?" He plopped down in his chair and leaned forward to let his elbows rest on his desk as he put his face in his hands. I got up from my chair and walked around behind him. My hands slid onto his shoulders and I felt how tense he was. I pressed my palms and fingertips into his shoulders, bringing a soft moan from his lips.

"Maybe you can get your client back?" I asked.

He sighed and let his hands drop down away from his face. "It's not likely."

"Oh," I mumbled. "I'm sorry, Louis..."

He didn't respond but allowed me to continue massaging his shoulders. The tension in his body loosened up a bit the longer I rubbed at his shoulders. I pulled him to lean back against the chair and then ran my hands from his shoulders and down to his chest. I lied my head against his shoulder and he brought a gentle hand to rest against my cheek, his thumb softly rubbing at my skin. "I know nothing about how this stuff works, but I think you'll get it figured out. You're a smart man, so I don't think you have anything to worry about," I said, hoping that will at least put him at ease, somewhat. I know losing a big client can be detrimental to his company, but I think he'll be okay.

"Thanks, love," he murmured.

And for the rest of the day, Louis was agitated in all ways possible. Anything and everything set him off, so he snapped a few times at his employees. But to be fair, they were asking some stupid questions. I don't blame him for being snippy and impatient. I set him off last night, that one guy lost an important client, his employees are asking questions that sound pretty stupid, and Louis is now trying to figure out how he's going to get his client back. He's been a bit annoyed with me a few times, but not because I did anything, but I think because he's having a bad day. He's a grouchy man right now and I don't blame him one bit.

Once Louis had finished typing up his letter to his ex-client, he decided it was time to go. He didn't say a word to any of his employees before we left, so it was a bit awkward feeling everyone's eyes on us as we exited the building. Just as before, the Range Rover from this morning waited outside for us. When we were in the car and headed home, I noticed how quiet Louis was. He must be reflecting on the day. The ride back home was awkward and silent, which was a bit annoying because I wanted to talk. But if the boss doesn't want to talk, he won't.

We made up to the penthouse, and Louis shrugged off his blazer as soon as we stepped off the elevator and draped it over one of the dining chairs. "What did you want to do for dinner tonight?" Louis asked, pulling his phone and wallet out of his back pocket and dumping it out onto the table.

"Doesn't matter. Whatever you feel like," I said as I sat down on the couch.

"You are the worst decision maker," he grumbled, but I just shrugged in response. "Just fucking pick something." Impatience was very evident in his voice this time.

"I really don't care, Louis. I'm leaving the decision up to you, so whatever you feel like having for dinner is what we'll eat," I said.

"Okay, whatever," he mumbled.

I pursed my lips shut and stared out of the window as I tried my damnedest not to say anything smart back.

"You mind telling me where you took those cookies yesterday?" Louis asked.

I groaned, tossing my head back against the couch. "Louis, I really don't feel like arguing with you right now."

"Who did you go talk to, Madison?" Louis pressed.

"I'm being serious. I don't want to argue. You're in a bad mood already, so please let it be for right now, Louis," I said.

"Tell me."

"No, leave it alone."

"Tell me!" He raised his voice.

"If it was any of your business, I would—"

"What did she say? Hmm? What did you and Ida talk about?" He asked.

My heart stopped in my chest because he actually knew that I went to go talk to Ida. How did he know that I... the cookies! He probably knows she enjoys oatmeal raisin cookies! So he's known all this time but just wants me to say it.

"What did you two talk about that has made you uncomfortable around me?" He asked.

"We didn't talk about you, Louis," I lied.

"Bullshit!" He snapped. "Lie to me again!"

"You're being a real asshole, you know that, right?" I said, which made his demeanor change from angry to absolutely furious.

"I'm the asshole!? I'm the asshole now!? Fucking enlighten me, Madison! How am I the asshole!?" He shouted.

I kept my mouth shut, so it was silent for only a few seconds as he waited for a response that he wasn't going to get.

"You've lied to me countless times and keep trying to avoid answering any of my questions. What the hell did you two talk about!?" He shouted again.

"Stop yelling at me!" I screamed before I was bursting into tears.

"Then fucking tell me, Madison!" He said.

And that was it. I was done holding it in, so I mentally apologized to poor Ida. "You're controlling! There. I said it! You're controlling and she's concerned for me. Happy!?" I blurted out.

Louis was suddenly in my peripheral vision as he stood by the couch and looked at me. He looked taken back. "Controlling?" He scoffed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

I released a god-awful sob and let my face drop down into my hands to blind me of his eyes that felt like daggers. "I didn't m-mean for the conversation to come up! She j-just—"

"Madison, just leave," he said.

I quickly looked up and over at him with wide eyes. "No, please hear me out, Louis!" I began, but he started walking away, so I stood up and followed him. "It wasn't my fault! She just started talking about it out of nowhere! I j-just went down to say hello and introduce myself, and that was all! In no way did I—"

"So you're saying that it's her fault that you're uncomfortable and frightened by me?" He asked, picking up his phone from off the dining table and checking it for notifications.

"I'm not scared of you, I—"

"You are scared of me. Whatever you two talked about yesterday has frightened you, and now you can't even look at me the same," he said, looking up at me. I wish the man would just let me finish instead of cutting me off every damn time. "What did she say?"

"I told her I wouldn't tell—"

"Madison!" He barked. "Tell me what she said."

"That you're controlling. That's it," I said.

"Detail, Quinn," he insisted.

"I'm not going to be independent if I'm in a relationship with you. You're short tempered and have very little patience, you'll take complete charge of my life and stuff like that. I don't know what she exactly said because she said a lot. Louis, she made it sound so terrifying and I didn't want to think of you like that—"

"Admit it."

I gulped as he stared me down with those piercing blue eyes that looked like a stormy blue, and they usually look darker when he's stressed or tired. "Okay, I was scared and uncomfortable because I kept repeating certain things that she said in my head," I explained.

Louis snorted out a laugh. "And you believe her?"

"From what she told me, she's a family friend. She's basically watched you grow up. You've spoken to her about personal things in the past. She speaks very highly of you and—"

"Obviously not because she's frightening the woman I actually have a strong interest in by discussing my business and speaking about things she shouldn't be," he said, glaring at me.

"Please don't say anything to her. Please, Louis. Promise me!" I begged.

"I won't say anything. But you and I need to have a serious conversation right now," he said. "Sit down."

I pulled a chair out and took a seat as he did the same from the other side of the table. He leaned forward slightly to fold his hands on the table and locked eyes with me to gain my undivided attention. "Now, whatever she told you, forget about it. I don't know anything about this 'controlling' shit, but I want you to leave it out of your head, and I don't ever want to hear anything like that again in my house," he said.

"See! You're being controlling right now!" I stupidly blurted out. The man is telling me what to do like I'm a child or something!

Hurt flashed through Louis' eyes and I saw it, immediately regretting everything I just said. "So you believe I am the person that she told you about?"

"As she is a family friend who has watched you grow into the man you are today, I just might have a good reason to," I said. And stupid, stupid, stupid!

Louis hummed and nodded as he leaned away. "Then why didn't you leave when you had the chance?"

"Because just like you, I have a strong interest and I'm willing to deal with this 'controlling' side of you," I said. And why can't I just shut the hell up? I'm pretty sure I'm digging myself a deeper hole, and I might as well call it my grave.

Louis just blinked.

"She told me if I'm okay with being submissive to you, then I have nothing to worry about," I admitted.

"Submissive to me!?" Louis got up and began to pace. "You make me sound like I own you or something! You act like I'm going to treat you like a dog, and you know what, that's pretty shitty. That's a real shitty thing to think of me. I'm offended, Madison." And I'm an idiot. So yeah...

The pain was evident in Louis' eyes, so was anger, betrayal, and pure disappointment. The man looks like a kicked puppy and it's all my fault, just because I can't keep my damn mouth shut. I just keep saying things and making the whole situation even worse. If I was honest in the first place, I don't think things would be as bad as they are now.

"Louis, I—"

"Leave," he demanded.

"What? Louis, let me—"

"I think you've explained enough, so I think it would be best if you would just leave," he said.

"I didn't mean to offend you, I—"

"Madison, don't make me repeat myself!" Louis shouted.

"Louis, please let me explain—"

Louis then slammed his hands down against the table, making me jump, and looked me straight in the eyes. "I told you to leave! So get up and move your legs, Miss Quinn!"

My eyes filled with tears before I quickly stood up from my chair. "Fine. I'll leave. I'll even put in my resignation as well."

"Oh god, you're being dramatic! You're not quitting!" He said, rolling his eyes.

I stomped over to the elevator and called for it by pressing the button. "I'll have it ready by tomorrow evening, as well as a box for my clothes. Goodbye, Louis," I said as I stepped onto the elevator when it arrived.

"No!" Louis shouted before he was stopping the elevator doors from closing, but I smacked the 'close' button several times in hopes that it would close even though I knew it wouldn't. "You're not quitting! And you're not going to make me look like the bad guy!"

"So let me quit," I said.

Panic flashed through his eyes. "No!" He said, so I crossed my arms over my chest. "Just—"

He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me out of the elevator.

"I thought you wanted me to leave," I said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. "I said it out of anger. I can't let the perfect woman walk away."

"You told me to leave, so I—"

"And I can't push another woman away, especially you. I'm so— Just don't leave," he said.

"Okay," I murmured.

Louis sighed and looked down at the floor. "I'm trying to be better. I'm really trying to not be that person you described or what Ida is familiar with...I used to be that way, and that's probably why you didn't see a woman hanging off my arm. They already know and are afraid of me or don't respect me. I discussed it with Ida a while back, so she's concerned for any woman I see. Rightfully so, I guess. But it makes me feel like a villain or less. I never quite understood what I was doing, so I was pretty much oblivious to it all until Ida pointed it out. It made sense as to why I couldn't keep a woman around. So I guess everything you said was pretty damaging because I don't want to be compared to that person anymore. The CEO with the short temper and very stubborn personality can't keep his job and romantic relationships apart. Makes me feel like a shit person. I degraded women for crying out loud. I _am_ a shit person."

I just stared at him, but he wouldn't make eye contact, but I did notice that his eyes were glossed over with what appeared to be tears. He's got a hard exterior, so to see him on the edge of tears makes it really obvious how bad I hurt him.

"A-And you're scared of me," he added. "You're unsure. You're worried. You're concerned. You're uncomfortable. But I guess that's what I deserve."

"No, Louis." I shook my head. "I'm allowing myself to fear you because of what Ida told me, but you're trying to change that person she once knew, and I'm just fucking it up by bringing your past back. I'm sorry...but even if you were that person, I don't think I could've walked away."

He kind of laughed and turned away from me completely. "Don't settle for less, Madison."

"I wouldn't have," I said.

"You would have. Don't settle for a person like that. You're not a dog, so don't let anyone treat you like that," he said and finally turned to look at me. "My intentions were to take care of my partner and protect them, but I can do that without treating them like someone who can't do anything for themselves."

I nodded and said a simple, "Okay."

He stared at my face before approaching me. "I'm sorry for shouting at you." He caressed my cheek before kissing my forehead.

"You had a bad day at work and I made it worse by not being honest last night," I said.

"Don't make up excuses for me, darling. My actions shouldn't be justified because I just had a bad day at work," he said. "You didn't deserve me shouting at you like that. And if I tell you to leave, I don't mean it because then if you leave, I can't look at how beautiful you are."

I rolled my eyes and he just chuckled. "Kissing my ass much, Mr. Tomlinson?"

He threw his head back laughing. "Always, love." He then pressed a kiss to my lips. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him in close for a hug. He gladly allowed the hug and let me lie my head on his chest.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Madison  
** _Saturday, July 23rd_

Louis and I decided to start over, for his sake of course. He gave me a few day's off so we can both recuperate. Last Wednesday was just a mess. I learned so much about him, some things being kind of scary and concerning, but I think I'm past that now. He's trying to be a better man, a better version of himself. I totally get it. I screwed it up by letting everything Ida told me get to me. Louis was trying to forget that part of him and be a new version. I understand why he tried so hard to keep that information a secret, so I'm not mad at him for it. I'm more angry with myself than anything because I broke him down that night. But I also believe I had the right to be concerned, no doubt.

I was currently at my apartment, having spent the last few days in my cheap box. Louis has once again given me his credit card to buy a dress. What for? He planned a date for tonight at his penthouse. No fancy restaurants, just a simple dinner and a bottle of wine at home.

I was excited to see Louis, my body feeling sort of jittery as I smoothed out my navy blue dress that was a knee length tulle cocktail dress with a princess scoop neck and sequins at the bottom hem of the dress. I wore a pair of gold heels with it and gold jewelry. My hair was pulled back but with my bangs out front to frame my face. I decided to go a little more with my makeup than I usually do with a red lipstick, a brown Smokey eye, and a bit of blush on my cheeks. I was actually quite satisfied with the look.

I wonder if Louis is just as excited to see me? As soon as I see him I just want to cover his face in kisses. I miss his amazing voice and accent, his warm hands, his soft lips, and beautiful blue eyes. I honestly just needed to feel his embrace and hear his sweet voice in my ear.

My phone went off to tell me that my ride was here, so I grabbed my black clutch and left my apartment. I got in the Lyft, the driver being a younger man that looked quite close to my age. His green eyes viewed me in the rearview mirror before a smirk was playing on his lips. "Date tonight?" He asked.

"Yes, in fact I do," I said.

He hummed and nodded. "You look lovely."

"Thank you," I said, blushing slightly at his compliment. He's quite handsome, but Louis is handsome and sexy. The man is no match against Louis.

The vehicle finally stopped in front of the magnificent building that never fails to amaze me. I thanked the young man before stepping out of the car and shutting the door behind me, entering the building and receiving a few looks from the people in the lobby.

"You look lovely, Ms. Quinn," the receptionist said and she gave me a bright smile. "I'm sure Mr. Tomlinson is looking forward to seeing you."

My cheeks bloomed a bright red as I shyly looked down, tucking my loose bangs behind me ears and boarding the elevator. I opened up my clutch and fished out the key before shoving it into the keyhole and turning it until the small light lit up. The doors slid shut, hiding me from the staring eyes. I felt extremely ancy to see Louis. I could imagine him waiting by the elevator to greet me with a kiss before leading me into the dining room where the table is set with dinner and wine.

The doors slid open to an empty foyer and dimmed lighting, which had me stepping in and looking around with furrowed brows. I rounded the corner, my heels ripping through the silence and found Louis sitting on the couch with a glass of what appeared to be scotch.

"Louis?" I walked around the couch and he slowly looked up at me. His tie was undone and his hair was disheveled. He looked drunk. So much for a fresh start...

Louis sighed, seeing the look on my face.

"You're drunk?" I asked.

He didn't respond, just looked down at his glass of scotch before bringing it to his lips to softly sip at it. I sighed and set my purse down on the coffee table. I guess I can forget getting a kiss from him. "We were supposed to have a nice dinner tonight, Louis," I said and pouted.

"Bryce gained a new client," he said, his voice flat with no emotion, then taking another sip of his drink.

Oh. Right. The whole losing an important client thing, so the client must've gone to Bryce Farce, Louis' competitor. That Dave guy really screwed up, now he's got Louis moping and drunk.

"And the client, he didn't recognize your apology letter?" I asked.

Louis looked up at me with emotionless eyes. "What do you think?"

I sighed and sat down beside him. "I'm sorry, Louis..."

He finished off his drink before pouring himself some more. I've never seen him like this, disappointed and pouty. It's kind of cute, but I feel bad that he had a horrible day at work. What could I do to make him feel better?

"But you know, it's not the end of the world. You're very intelligent, so I can bet that you will figure this all out and everything is going to be okay," I said.

Louis looked over at me, but the look on his face was soft with a half gentle, half drunken smile. "Let's stop talking and worrying about me. We have a date to attend to."

"Louis, you've gotten yourself drunk over a client. That client was very important to you and your company, obviously. Forget the date, as much as I would love to have a nice meal with you, but you're stressed out. I don't want any of these problems sitting at the back of your head the entire night just to please me," I said, bringing a hand up to softly cup his cheek, which he slightly pushed his cheek into my hand.

"I'm okay. I'll be okay," he said. "Having this date with you will make me feel a whole lot better because I get to spend time with the prettiest woman in all of New York."

" _Just_ New York?" I teased.

He chuckled. "That was a lie. The prettiest woman in the whole universe."

"Oh please! You're drunk, goofball," I said and got up from the couch. He reached out for me but I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest, in which he slouched back against the couch and pouted. "Come on. This woman is starving."

"Want to touch you," he said.

"I want to touch you too, but my appetite for food is at the top of the list of things I want at the moment, so get up and let's go eat," I said, grabbing his hand from his lap and pulling as hard as I can to try to get him up, but he was just dead weight. "Get. Up." I yanked on his hand some more.

"You may be the prettiest, but _definitely_ not the strongest," he said with a shit-eating grin on his face.

I let his hand drop back to his lap and placed my hands on my hips. "Do you want to get laid tonight or laid out?"

His eyes blew wide. "Oh, is that a threat, Quinn?"

"If you don't get your ass in a dining chair, I'll make it a promise," I said, quirking an eyebrow as a smirk sprawled across my face. "I'll count down from five, and once I get to one, I won't let you near my naked body later on tonight."

He hummed.

"Five..."

"You're kidding," he chuckled.

"Four..."

He rolled his eyes. "You think counting down is going to make me listen?"

"Three..."

"You think you have this control over me," he said.

"Two..."

His face suddenly turned to panic. "Okay, okay!" He quickly stood up and rushed into the dining room.

"One."

"My ass is in a chair!" He said just as he sat down. "Happy?"

I grinned devilishly before joining him at the table. "I knew you would listen to me eventually." I unraveled my silverware from the cloth and lied the cloth on my lap. "This smells great," I said, lifting the metal top from my plate and seeing a beautiful, simple meal. It was a filet mignon on top of mashed potatoes with a side of asparagus. I asked him for a simple meal than a five course meal at a luxury restaurant. That date was horrific...

I picked up my fork and knife and began eating the wonderful meal. There was even a glass of red wine to drink, so I took a small sip to find that it was a sweet wine, just how I liked it. The meal was perfect. I don't think I could've asked for anything better. "Who made this?" I asked.

"I hired a chef for the night and he prepared the meal," he said.

"Oh..." I mumbled. He hired a chef. The man is practically made of money. "It's delicious. When you see him next, can you let him know?"

"Yeah, I can," he said.

I noticed how he was scooting his food around the plate with his fork, not really interested in the meal. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind by the stiffness of his jaw and his eyes staring off into space.

"Is everything alright, Lou?" I asked as I cut my steak.

He dropped his silverware onto the plate and ran a hand through his hair. "I have a meeting with Abrielle Laurent on Monday."

Abrielle...? Who is—

oh.

I stopped cutting my steak and stared blankly at him, but he never met my eyes. He looked everywhere else except for my eyes. "She's his fucking representative," he said, wiping his hand over his face and then propping his chin up in his hand. "I'm going to be in my office with her, alone. I'm going to be alone with her, Madison. She's been trying her damndest to sleep with me. What the hell do I do?"

"Um..." I gulped, setting my silverware down. "I don't know. I guess just keep it professional."

"She's going to do anything in her power to wound me up, and if she can't do that sexually, she'll try it by sharing false information with the public about me. It's a lose-lose," he said.

"Then I guess fuck her," I grumbled, sitting back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.

Louis frowned at me. "What the hell, Madison?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. You seem to care about how people think of you. You make it sound like if you don't have sex with her, she'll make you out to look like a horrible person, so you should just sleep with her. Anyway, it's a lose-lose."

"That's not what I'm saying at all. Why would you think something like that? I'm asking you for help, I—"

"What could I possibly help you with, Louis? Why are you asking me to help you with something I have no control of?" I asked.

"Because I trust you. I—"

"Okay? You trust me. But what can I do?"

He honestly looked very upset, a pout on his lips and downcast eyes. "I—...You're right. I just—...I don't know what to do. I just needed to get it off my chest because I've been so anxious about it all day. It makes me feel sick to my stomach to even think about Monday. Telling you makes me feel better because you always have such nice things to say."

And I just bashed this poor man and told him to sleep with Abrielle. I fucking _suck_ right now. My jealousy got the best of me. She's just so pretty, it makes me doubt that he wouldn't want to sleep with her. She looks like a Victoria's Secret model and lives a classy life with her Sugar Daddy.

"I'm sorry, Louis. I didn't mean to get all bitchy. I feel honored that I make you feel better," I said. I could see the evident anxiety surfacing to his face, he almost looked panicked as he continued to think about Monday. He groaned and put his face in his hands. I got up from my chair and walked over to him, and my hand slid over his left shoulder to gain his attention. He propped his head back up but on both hands.

"Today just hasn't been my day. I also had two employees walk out on me today. Two is too many," he said. "And this headache that's forming isn't helping much."

I kissed the back of his head and pressed the palms of my hands into his shoulders to begin gently massaging him. "You're worrying too much, so you're having a stress headache. You need to relax, eat your food, and stop worrying about stuff at work while you're at home, okay?"

He breathed out a sigh and picked up his fork, stabbing his steak. "I'd have you come with me Monday, but it's a private business meeting."

I leaned down so that my lips were centimeters away from his ear. "Stop worrying." I then kissed the spot right below his ear and continued to massage his shoulders. "What would you like to do after dinner?"

"I don't know," he mumbled. "Is there anything you'd like to do?"

I hummed and thought as I gently dug my fingertips into his tissue. What sounds relaxing? "How about a bath?"

Louis kept silent for a moment before speaking. "A bath?"

"Mhm." I moved my hands from his shoulders to tangle my fingers in his hair to massage his head. "I think it would be quite relaxing for the both of us." He let out a small moan when my thumbs rubbed against the back of his head. "What do you say?"

"Okay," he said.

"I'll go run the bath..."

•••

I had finished setting up the bath, a few lit candles on the counters to set a relaxing mood and white wine sitting on the silver tub-side table. I exited the bathroom and entered the bedroom to find Louis lying on the bed with an arm over his eyes, a hand resting on his stomach, and his legs crossed.

"Louis."

He moved his arm away to look at me. "The bath ready?"

"Yeah." I watched as he got out of the bed and walked toward the bathroom door, his fingers already trying to unbutton his white button-up. I stopped him by hooking my index finger into one of the belt-loops on his trousers and he turned to face me. "Can I do it?" I asked, referring to his shirt. His hands dropped to his side, so I took that as a 'yes' and began unbuttoning his shirt with my smaller, daintier fingers. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not at the moment, no. I'm pretty sure my headache has grown worse over the last fifteen minutes," he said, watching my fingers with his pretty eyes. "I think it evolved into a migraine. The light is absolutely killing me."

I untucked his shirt from his trousers and pushed it off his shoulders so that it would fall to the floor. My eyes scanned the many tattoos covering his body before I absentmindedly touched my fingertips against the tattoos on his left peck. "How many do you have?" I asked. I grabbed his left arm and turned it so that his palm was facing towards the ceiling and then rubbed a hand over his forearm. "You have a lot."

"A little over thirty. I've just kind of stopped counting to be honest. They're a little bit stupid, don't you think?" He said, chuckling softly.

I shook my head. "I like them. They look really good on you."

Louis grinned and his hands moved towards my shoulders to pull the straps of my dress down my arms and tugging the dress completely off to join his shirt on the floor. His eyes lit up when they caught sight of my black matching lingerie. "Oh, what a surprise...almost planned for something." His eyes flicked up to meet mine and I could see the lust in his, pupils blown so wide that a ring of blue was only left.

"You know, some women like to dress for themselves and not others," I said, sending him a wink and walking into the bathroom. I could feel his eyes on me. I turned to see him still standing in the doorway staring at me. "Are you coming or not?"

"In more ways than one," he said as walked in.

"Ew, you're gross!" I laughed.

I grabbed the wine from the small table and used a fancy cork screw to remove the cork from the bottle. "Wine?" I asked, but then I felt the fabric of Louis' trousers press against my bottom and a pair of hands sliding onto my hips.

"Yes, please," he whispered in my ear, which sent a pleasurable shiver down my spine. I grabbed one of the empty wine glasses and filled it halfway with the expensive white wine before doing the same to the other empty glass. Louis' hands kept slowly gliding along my skin until I turned towards him, but his hands gripped my hips and pulled me impossibly closer. "You're such a sexy woman."

My eyes dropped down to his chest as my cheeks bloomed red. Does he really think so or is it the alcohol speaking for him? "Can we take our bath?" I murmured.

Louis hummed and finally pulled away from me to undo his trousers and slide them off along with his briefs. I avoided looking at his naked body by 'checking' something on my arm. Louis got into the tub and sat down in the water, a moan exiting his lips, probably because of the warm, bubbly water against his skin.

"Stop acting like you've never seen me naked and get in this tub, Miss," Louis demanded from behind me. "After all, this was _your_ idea..."

I huffed and turned around to look at Louis. The sudsy water covered his lower half so it was just his upper half peaking out of the water and his arms resting on either side of the tub. He looked like a King taking a bath and I'm stood like a deer in headlights. I honestly felt like begging the man to take my virginity right now.

"I thought the whole point of the bath was that we both would be in it, not the other standing outside of it staring at me like I've got three heads or something." Louis' voice interrupted my thoughts and I blinked back to reality, my cheeks growing even hotter.

"Right. Yeah." I unhooked my bra and let it fall to the floor and then hooked my thumbs into the sides of my underwear to pull them down. Louis' eyes followed every movement closely and his tongue poked out to lick over his bottom lip and his teeth caught the skin in a bite. I was finally naked and approached the tub.

"Be careful, darling," Louis told me and held a hand out for me to grab ahold of. I gripped his hand and carefully stepped into the tub. Once both of my feet were dunked underneath the water, Louis' hand disappeared from mine, but then two hands were grabbing me at my hips to have me sit down. I was situated between his legs and just sat there stiffly, not really knowing what to do. His hands landed on my shoulders. "You're as stiff as a board. You need to loosen up." He gently massaged my shoulders until I relaxed and dropped my shoulders. "That's a girl. Lean against me." I leaned back until I felt the back of my head bump against his shoulder.

I looked over and up at Louis but he was already looking at me, so we made direct eye contact and had me quickly looking away. "Comfortable?" He asked as he reached over for something.

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

His hand came back with a wash rag that he dipped into the warm water and then began running the cloth along my arms and up to my shoulders. "You seem nervous. Are you sure you're comfortable?" The cloth glided over my breasts, causing me to gulp. I was feeling sexual tension. That was it. I nodded in response to Louis and closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to watch his hand move lower down my body. "Or is it something else?" He whispered in a low tone in my ear and his lips connected to the skin of my neck at the same time his hand reached between my legs but not quite where I wanted his hand.

"I'm okay," I said, the words flying out of my mouth. It didn't sound believable. Louis hummed in my ear. My eyes landed on Louis' legs that were slightly bent on either side of me while my legs were outstretched. My right arm mindlessly moved to rest atop of Louis' knee. This was my idea, yet I'm acting like it wasn't. I think the wine at dinner gave me too much confidence. Usually I'm real weird about these kinds of things. I'm practically pressed against his—

"How was your time off?" Louis asked as he interrupted my thoughts.

"Um..." I tried to get my head back to reality before responding. "A bit boring. I would have rather been here with you, even if I was just working."

Louis ran the cloth over my thighs. "Yeah? Did you do anything?"

"I slept...and ate...and watched tv. Does that count?" I said and laughed.

"As much money as you make you couldn't go into the city and enjoy your days off?" He questioned.

I shrugged. "Didn't really feel like it. I also didn't want to deal with the bustle of the city." My eyes watched his hand reach low between my legs but kept to my thighs than where I really wanted him. "But it's no big deal. What about you?"

"Work," he simply said and I regretted asking him. I shouldn't have turned the question on him. I don't need him thinking about work again.

"Right," I mumbled.

I felt like I was sinking lower into the water, so I moved to sit up a little bit. Louis' arm wrapped around my middle and held me close while his other hand that was holding the cloth dropped the cloth and slid just above my pelvis. I tensed up and he noticed right away when he softly chuckled in my ear. "I can feel your muscles tense every time my hand runs even a few inches away from your pelvis. Is something bothering you?"

"Uh..." My brain tried to quickly think of some sort of response. "I have to use the toilet." I made a move to stand up but Louis gripped my hips and forced me back down between his legs.

"You're stalling. Answer the question," he demanded and his voice sounded serious and domineering, which sent a chill up my spine.

"H-Hey, I'm not stalling. I actually need to—"

"Is it something you want, perhaps?" He cut me off. His fingers moved ever so slightly to gently rub the skin near my pelvis. God, he doesn't make it easy to ignore the sexual tension I'm feeling. It's probably because he knows and wants to encourage it. Evil man, he is. What's even worse is that he practically gets anything he wants and desires...

"Is it maybe that you want me to touch you in a specific place?" He asked.

My heart was pounding hard against my chest and I was kind of worried that he could hear it. I wanted to escape the tub because maybe I could escape the nagging feeling that was pulsing in my lower region. "I actually need my glass of wine." I reached out and grabbed the wine but Louis was quick to snatch the glass from my hands and set back down on the silver table. "Hey! Now you're just being—"

Louis' hand dunked down into the water between my legs and then I was stiffening up and gripping onto one of his knees and the side of the tub, a small gasp falling past my lips. I could hear a low chuckle from behind me. His free hand that was wrapped around my middle slid out and gripped my shoulder to pull me back to lean against him again as his hand between my thighs continued. My head leaned against his broad shoulder and my mouth dropped open from the pleasure and my eyes stared up at the ceiling. He's touched me before, but for some reason it just feels so much more pleasurable this time.

"Does it feel good?" His low voice sounded soft but rough at the same time.

I turned my head to look at him, my jaw still dropped open into an 'O' shape and my eyes hooded. His eyes scanned my face, enjoying everything about it as an amused grin formed on his lips. I'm guessing he took that as a yes to his question. I suddenly felt his free hand pinching one of my nipples and rolling it between his forefinger and thumb, causing another gasp to escape my lips and my back to arch while my nails dug into the skin of his knees, but one of them quickly released his knee to grip his wrist between my legs. "Oh my god, Louis!" I moaned, my eyes fluttering shut.

"Shhh," he hushed, letting go of my nipple and pressing me back down to his chest and removing my hand from around his wrist and placing it back on his knee before returning back to my nipple but rubbing it this time.

His fingers between my legs slowed down to slowly rub me in small circles. "You let me know when you're uncomfortable or unsure about something, okay?" He said.

I nodded, too focused on the feelings to even verbalize an answer.

"I prefer a verbal answer," he said.

"Okay," I breathed out, which I guess he thought it was a good enough answer when the circles stopped and he was sliding his fingers down lower to pass against my entrance. I released a breath of air. His hand disappeared, which caused me to whine.

"Be patient," he demanded before moving me to sit up and closer to him. We were impossibly close now. I could feel he was definitely turned on by the whole situation. His hand dunked back down and then he was inserting a single finger, my eyes rolling back into my head. Now this was _definitely_ a new feeling. My nails were clawing his knees but he didn't care as he continued doing what he was doing. "Is this okay?" He asked, slowly pumping his finger in and out.

"Yes!" I breathed out, my chest heaving up and down as I breathed heavily. Just a single finger was just about to do me in but I tried my hardest to force the pending orgasm back. "L-Louis!"

His finger stopped, almost like he knew. "If you need to release, feel free to do so." I could feel his eyes on me while mine were squeezed shut so I could focus on calming down.

"No, no, I'm okay. Not yet," I breathed out. I sounded like I ran a marathon! My walls clenched when I felt two fingers trying to slowly enter, so Louis' free hand gripped my chin and forced my face to the side and up in order for him to reach my lips. I immediately kissed back and focused on his lips. Louis took that to his advantage as he was able to get two fingers inside me. He slowly pumped them in and out. I moaned his name against his lips before my tongue continued to fight against his.

His fingers then curled to rub against something that made me practically see stars. My jaw went slack and my hips absentmindedly raised up, almost like my body was chasing the pleasure. It felt like pulses shooting up into my body and then I could finally feel it. My orgasm raced past the finish line and I was seeing white and gasping really loud, my voice echoing throughout the bathroom. Louis' fingers pulled out to rub me through it.

After a few seconds, my hips finally stilled and I was huffing and puffing, and my head lulled against Louis' shoulder and I closed my eyes. Louis leaned his head against mine and wrapped his arms around me to hold me. As I lied there, I was able to catch my breath and get my heart back to a regular pace in my chest. I grabbed one of his hands and laced my fingers with his.

"How're you feeling?" He asked.

"Good," I murmured, breathing softly as exhaustion was taking place now. I was completely relaxed and felt like I could almost fall right to sleep, but I kept myself awake. I don't need Louis carrying me out of the tub.

Louis kissed the side of my forehead. "Let's get washed up and dried," he said. I whined because I just wanted to go to bed. I didn't feel like doing anything extra. "Don't be whiney. I'll wash you."

I smiled and nodded. "I'd like that.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Louis  
** _Monday, July 25th_

I felt like I was going to be sick. My nerves were through the damn roof and I felt like I was seconds away from canceling the meeting, but then I would look like a coward. Abrielle's ego would increase and I don't think I could possibly live with that fact.

I realized I had failed to put my tie on properly as my face turned into frustration in the mirror. I keep zoning out instead of focusing on this tie. I groaned and let the tie drape over my shoulders. Madison appeared behind me in the mirror before she was fitting herself between me and the mirror, grabbing my tie from my shoulders. It only took her a few seconds to tie it and tighten it up to my neck.

"Relax, Louis," she spoke softly and rubbed at my shoulders to comfort me. "I'm confident in you. Everything will be alright, okay?"

Although it wasn't much advice, her words still provided me enough comfort and eased my anxiety. She rubbed my arms and peered up into my eyes. "Your coffee is ready on the table." She stood up on her tiptoes to press her plush lips against mine and I instantly wrapped an arm around her waist.

I hummed against her lips, enjoying it just a little too much to the point I had to force myself away. "Thank you, darling." I turned around and grabbed my blazer and slipped it on. I felt little fingers on my back as she straightened the wrinkles out.

"Hurry up and get out the door before you're late," she said, patting my back.

I quickly grabbed my cellphone and wallet and tucked them in the front right pocket of my trousers. "Alright, I'm leaving, baby," I said as I turned around to face her and brought her in for one last kiss. "I'll see you when I get home."

"I'll be waiting," she said and smiled cutely.

"You're lucky I have an important meeting this morning or else I would be late for work just to ravish you," I said and sent her a wink.

She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Don't say things like that before you leave," she grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest with a pout playing on her tempting lips.

I chuckled as I walked towards the door. "I'll see you later, baby."

I left the penthouse and when the lift reached the lobby and the doors slid open, a black Range Rover was waiting outside the door for me. I rushed out of the front doors and a man opened up the backseat for me to jump into, and then the door was shut behind me once my entire body was in. Thankfully, traffic was normal, so the drive wasn't too terribly bad for New York traffic.

As soon as the vehicle pulled up to the front of the building, I was quick to jump out. I could see my assistant waiting for me at the front door with her daily planner pressed against her chest and a smile on her lips as I approached the front door. The moment I opened the door she was like a yappy dog bouncing at my feet.

"A big day today, sir!" She said too cheerfully for my liking.

"No need to remind me," I grumbled and passed right by her, but she followed close behind. I checked my watch and it was nearly eight in the morning. I'm actually on time.

"How was your morning? Did you eat enough? I had a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries on top and let me tell you, it was—"

"Cassandra, pipe down," I said and she went silent. "If it's not work related, I don't want to hear it. Update me on Ms. Laurent's arrival time."

"Mrs. Farce is waiting for you in your office, sir," she said.

My eyes blew wide and my feet stopped moving before I quickly turned to face my assistant. "She's already here!?" Panic was arising in my chest at a rapid pace.

"Yes, sir. She arrived fifteen minutes ago," she said with a nervous grin on her petite face.

I stared at her for a few seconds out of disbelief and she shrunk down a little. "And no one informed me of this!?"

"W-Well, there's really nothing we could've done, you were already on your way, sir."

I groaned and turned back around to board the lift, Cassandra quickly hopping on and standing beside me. Her body language and look on her face looked like a disciplined child. "All I need is her blabbing her damn mouth off about me holding her up."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tomlinson," she apologized in a quiet voice.

I leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. That's all I fucking need. I know Abrielle is going to try to chew me out for being 'late'.

"She said the meeting will be one-on-one, so she prefers no one else in the room while—"

"I know what one-on-one means, Cassandra," I said bluntly and rolled my eyes.

"Right," she mumbled and kept quiet for a few. "Are you nervous?"

"Hell, nervous? That's a fucking understatement!" I said, pushing away from the wall to prepare to exit the lift.

"I'm sorry, sir," she apologized again.

The lift finally opened up to the top floor and Cassandra and I stepped off only to have multiple eyes on us as we began to walk toward my office. They all know of Abrielle Laurent and the stunts she likes to pull to tear me and the company down, especially now that her husband is my competitor.

"Cassandra," I began as we approached my office.

"Sir?"

"Did you say 'Mrs. Farce'?" I asked because I'm not sure if I actually heard her right.

'Yes, sir. She is married now," she said.

I hummed and nodded. I'll keep that noted. "Got it."

I entered my office and found Abrielle sitting in a chair in front of my desk with her legs crossed. I would say she looked like a modern Marilyn Monroe with the way her hair was fixed up and the red lipstick, but I think that would be offensive to Marilyn Monroe to compare her to such a woman as Abrielle.

"Oh, look who decided to show up! I've been waiting over fifteen minutes for you!" She said and smirked. "Anyway, you look handsome...very appealing."

I practically slammed the door shut and walked around my desk to take a seat, placing my coffee on the desk, but my eyes caught a glimpse of some sort of writing on the paper cup.

_'Hope you have an amazing day, Lou! xx -Madison'_

I quickly blinked away from the note so Abrielle wouldn't notice, but she began to speak. "Ignoring me, huh? I compliment you and you can't even say a 'thanks'? Some man you are," she said and snorted, leaning back in her seat and playing with a pen in her hands that she took from the pen-holder on my desk.

"I'm here for a professional business meeting. If you're not here for that, I suggest you leave," I said as I straightened a few papers on my desk and then looking up at her to see a snooty expression on her face.

"Jeez, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she mumbled, spinning the pen around on my desk.

I sighed and pulled my seat up closer to my desk to lace my fingers together on the surface. "Mrs. Farce, I think that's enough," I said and narrowed my eyes at her, but she obviously didn't take me serious when a grin sprawled across her face.

"Last name bases now, huh?" She said and snickered. "It hasn't always been like that..."

"One more comment like that I will have to ask you to leave my office," I said, but it's like talking to a wall.

She hummed and snatched up my coffee, but before I could protest, she cut me off. "Hope you don't mind sharing," she said and took a sip, leaving a red lipstick stain on the plastic top. My blood was boiling at this point.

"Mrs. Farce!" I raised my voice this time.

"What!?" Her voice was more high-pitched this time, almost like she just did nothing wrong. "I'm thirsty!" Her eyes then spotted something on the cup and her eyes lit up. "Oh, what's this?" She read it out loud and laughed. "Now I see why you're grumpy! You're still sleeping with that klutz!" She laughed even harder. "I can't believe you sleep with someone with such low class. Kind of makes me want to vomit."

Rage boiled up inside of me. "Don't you talk about her like that! This is a business meeting, Mrs. Farce, so if you're not going to be professional and treat it like a business meeting then get out!"

"Look at you!" She laughed. "Getting all worked up! I know you're trying your damndest to deny me every time we meet but I know in your head you're just thinking about taking me on this desk. That's okay. I don't mind you taking your anger and frustration out on me. I'm sure that little virgin back at your penthouse isn't much help, is she? Afraid of the birds and the bees, isn't she?"

I had about had it now. "Shut the hell up and get the hell out if my fucking office!" I'm sure my voice could be heard ten floors below us.

"How about you make me, Mr. Tomlinson?" She said and batted her eyelashes at me.

"I'm not laying a finger on you. Get out, right now!" I demanded.

She got up from her chair but leaned over the desk until her face was only inches from mine. "I know you want me," she began, her eyes scanning my face and her white teeth biting down on her cherry red bottom lip. "I can imagine you bending me over this desk and forcing my little pencil skirt up with my white button-up to reveal my bum. You would take your belt off and punish me with it, leaving red marks against my bare ass. Then you would turn me around and force me up onto the desk, pull that delicious cock out and just fuck me against this desk, wrapping your hand around my throat as you just fuck me. I'd be screaming 'yes, yes, yes! Feels so fucking good, Daddy! Yes!'" She was literally moaning.

That's disgusting and extremely cringe worthy. "You're fucking filthy," I growled.

"What are you going to do about my filthy mouth, Daddy?" She pressed on and smirked.

I stood up from my chair and her eyes widened at the movement, probably thinking I was going to finally give in to her. "Way to represent your husband. Get the fuck out of my office or I will call to have someone remove you," I said. "And also, you can tell David I said hello because I know he works for you cruddy people."

Abrielle immediately tensed up and her eyes were as wide as saucers.

I chuckled at the pathetic look on her face and tucked my hands into my pockets. "Didn't think I would find out that you sent David to 'work' under my branch and lose one of my best clients only for you to gain my client almost immediately after, huh? You let Bryce know he's digging his company a grave and I'll be the one to kick it in. Now get the hell out."

She stared at me blankly.

"GET OUT!" I shouted and that had her scrambling for her things.

"You'll regret this, Tomlinson!" She spat out.

"Ahh, fucking shove it," I grumbled, waving her off and plopping back down in my chair, and that had her angrily slamming the door shut so hard it shook the walls. I groaned and folded my arms on the desk and placed my face into them. "Fucking slut," I mumbled into my arms.

The door opened up slowly, so I sat up to see who it was and it was my assistant standing there in the doorway looking scared. "How did the meeting go, sir?" She asked, but the look on her face showed that she probably already had an idea.

"I don't want to see her in or around this building anymore. She tried to hustle me, the slut. If she steps foot in this building, call security immediately and have her removed because I don't have time for her shit," I demanded.

"Yes, sir," she said with a nod and moved to leave the room.

"Oh, Cassandra!"

She turns with a smile. "Sir?"

"I'm calling a meeting at nine involving all general managers and executive officers. We need to discuss a few things," I said.

"Got it!" She turned on her heel and left me alone in my office.

I grabbed my cup of coffee to take a sip but the red lipstick print stopped me in my tracks. She ruined my fucking cup of coffee. I didn't hesitate to drop the half-empty cup of coffee in the bin nearby and stood up from my chair, leaving my office.

•••

By the time I arrived home, I was exhausted. It was a long day trying to get everything back in gear at the company. I was down for a few days but I'm back in the game. Bryce has no chance against my company.

I got out of the vehicle and entered the building, the receptionist greeting me with a cheery smile. "Good evening, Mr. Tomlinson."

"Good evening, love," I returned as I grabbed my key from my pocket. "Did you enjoy your day?"

"Yes, sir, I did," she said, a small blush rising to her cheeks.

I sent her a friendly smile and got on the lift as soon as it arrived and shoved the key in. The doors slid shut and I immediately slumped against the wall, tired of trying to hold it together in front of people. I could use a fulfilling dinner, a warm shower, and a cuddle from Madison.

The doors opened up to the foyer and I peeked around to see that a few pieces of furniture was moved around for cleaning purposes before my eyes caught sight of the young, beautiful woman on her hands and knees scrubbing the floors. I'm dating this woman and she's scrubbing my floors. It just doesn't sound right...

I stepped into sight and she looked up, her eyes lighting up. "Louis, hey!" She said as she stood up at the same time she removed her rubber gloves and draped them over the blue soap bucket.

"Hi, sweetie," I said softly and embraced her in a warm hug. She kissed my neck before nestling her face against my shoulder. I couldn't help but breathe in her sweet aroma. She smelled of my shampoo, the scent being of white peach and cedarwood. It smelled better on her than me and I'm not mad about it.

"How was work?" She asked as we just stood there wrapped in each other's arms.

"Could've been better if it hadn't been for Abrielle and I having a godawful meeting this morning," I said.

We parted and she had a frown on her face. "Was it that bad?"

"Of course it was bad. She's definitely going to be out for me though, along with her egotistical husband," I said.

"Her husband? They're married now?" She questioned.

"Yep, and she's still trying to hustle me into having sex with her. Imagine that," I said as I approached the cockeyed couch and plopped down on it, and Madison realized that the couch was still moved out of place.

"Oh, I meant to move that back—"

"It's okay. Take a break and sit down with me," I said, patting the empty spot beside me.

A smile formed on her lips before she was sitting down beside me. Her smile is one of the prettiest smiles I have ever seen on anyone. How is she so gorgeous? Sometimes I feel worried that some other man will come and sweep her off her feet. I want her all to myself.

"You always look so good in suits," she said, interrupting my thoughts. I grinned and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to me.

"Thank you, baby," I said, kissing the side of her head.

She snuggled close and stared out of the window. The sun was setting behind the buildings and the sky was a mixture of blue, pink, and purple. "Louis, I have a question..."

"What's that, love?" I responded, rubbing her arm.

"Why did you choose my uniform to look the way it does?" She asked and looked up at me with innocent eyes.

I cleared my throat and crossed one leg over the other, avoiding any kind of eye contact with her. I cannot believe she just asked me that question. I mean, I knew she would sooner or later but I was definitely not prepared today. How do I dodge it?

"Maybe I researched you and thought it would suit you," I said.

I could see her squinting her eyes at me out of my peripheral vision. "Suit me? Or suit you?"

I forced back a grin and stood to my feet, unraveling my arm from around the smaller woman. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry. I'm going to order something from the kitchen downstairs."

"Now you just wait a minute!" She said and lifted herself from off the couch. "Look at me."

I made the mistake of turning to look at her.

"Now this does not look like a uniform that you would just buy because it 'suits' me." She turned around to face away from me and bent down. "Because when I bend down, you almost see my bum."

I hummed, grabbing my chin in thought as my eyes lingered on her bottom. "Hmm, must've been hemmed too short."

Madison faced me again and placed her hands on her hips, her left hip popping out and her left eyebrow quirking upwards. "A hemming error? Or did a certain man request such a length?"

"Now why would I do that?" I snorted and rolled my eyes. "You just sound ridiculous."

"Should I bend down again?" She teased.

"I mean, if you want," I said and grinned, not really seeing an issue with her bending over for me again.

"And you just made my point," she said.

I was taken back. "And what's that exactly?"

"That it's appealing to your eyes. So you researched me, took a liking to me, and then requested such a uniform. I thought it was kind of weird that Lottie asked for my measurements before I was even hired because you were going to hire me anyway, just because you were attracted to me," she said.

Damn. Smart girl.

I chuckled and fished my mobile out from my front pocket. I honestly didn't know to respond.

"Am I right or am I wrong?" She asked, trying to force a response from me.

"I'm not saying anything," I said as I went to the phone app to dial the number to the kitchen downstairs, but before I could do that, the phone was snatched. I quickly looked up at the stubborn girl and she was holding the phone behind her back.

"Am I right or am I wrong?" She repeated with a cocky smile on her face.

"Come on, Madison, give me the phone back," I said and reached for her arm but she swiftly dodged me.

"Answer me, Louis," she demanded.

"Why do you care?" I asked.

"Because I have to wear this freakish 'uniform' as long as I'm working for you," she said as she fiddled with my phone behind her back.

"At least it didn't come with fishnets, a garter, and a feather duster because I think that would have been more problematic," I said, chuckling.

"So that's more problematic than my ass nearly coming out of the dress anytime I bend down?" She shot back.

Oh, please, it's not even that short of a dress. She's totally being overdramatic about this whole uniform thing. Her ass isn't showing. What's the big deal? "To be really honest with you, the uniform wasn't supposed to be that short. Now may I have my phone back?" I said, holding my hand out to her.

"Admit that you wanted to see my ass," she said.

Stubborn as hell, she is!

"I did not. Phone in hand, now," I said.

"Wrong. Admit it."

"Wrong?" I snorted.

She then began to walk away with my phone. "You won't get your phone back until you admit it." Oh, she's in for it.

"Then I guess we'll starve," I simply said, but she just shrugged and looked over her shoulder at me with a smirk.

"I guess we will, Mr. Tomlinson," she said and faced away from me.

"Oh, don't start that," I laughed.

I watched as she tucked my phone away in her front pocket of her uniform and bent down by the water bucket, grabbing her gloves and the sponge. "You've distracted me long enough, Mr. Tomlinson. I need to continue my work." She got down on her knees on the floor and began scrubbing.

I released a 'hmph' as I stuck my hands in my pockets and approached her, but she didn't look up.

"You're dirtying the floors with your shoes," she said but still not looking up at me.

"Phone," is all I said and stretched a hand out. She ignored my demand and continued to scrub the floor. "Madison."

"Yes, Mr. Tomlinson?" She sat back on her heels and peered up at me.

"I didn't buy the uniform to look at your ass," I said, but I already knew she still wasn't going to buy it, especially by the way she ignored me and stood up, dropping the sponge in the water and picking the bucket up to carry it into the kitchen.

I threw my head back in a groan. "Stop teasing, for God's sake!" I said and pouted.

"I've come to realize that admitting the truth is a very difficult thing for you," she said, pouring the soapy water out into the sink. I walked up behind her, and almost like she sensed me, she placed a hand over her pocket to make sure I don't pickpocket her.

"You're stubborn," I said.

She hummed. "And so are you..."

"Touché." I grabbed the hand that was covering her pocket and made a move to grab my phone.

"No!" She squealed, trying to turn away as fast as possible. "Admit it first!"

"It was hemmed too short! It wasn't my fault!" I argued and finally snatched the phone from her hand. She whipped around and grabbed my hand and used her other hand to grab the phone, but I held a tight grip on it.

"You're a liar!" She bit back and tried to pry my fingers away from the phone.

"Why is it such a big deal!?" I questioned, trying to hold onto the phone with all my strength.

"Because you're a horny old man!" She said and yanked at the phone in my hand, but I still didn't let go. Did she just call me a horny old man? I—

"Old man?" I ripped her hands away and tucked the phone in my pocket.

"Horny old man," she corrected me as I backed her up against the cabinets.

"Then you must like horny old men," I said and her face twisted up in disgust. "Aah, see what you did to yourself?" She was completely pressed against the cabinets and I leaned close to her face and pressed my palms against the counter to cage her in. My eyes lingered on her lush lips before flicking up to look into her beautiful eyes. "And who wouldn't want to look at that ass of yours?" Her cheeks bloomed red. "Embarrassed now?" I smirked. She didn't say anything as she just stared into my eyes. "Now, you snatched my phone from my hand, held it hostage—"

She giggled.

"—and teased me with your ass. What should we do about that, young lady?" I asked and quirked an eyebrow. "How should I set you straight?" Her cheeks surprisingly grew impossibly darker as she stared at me without a response. "Not so funny anymore, is it?"

She gulped. "M-May I finish cleaning?"

I hummed in thought, my eyes looking to the ceiling as if they were trying to find ideas springing from my head. "I suppose so. But we aren't finished."

She stared at me with wide eyes as I finally stepped away from her.

"Dinner should be ready by the time you're finished," I said and walked off, grabbing my phone from my pocket and dialing the number to the kitchen downstairs.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Madison**   
_Tuesday, July 26th_

I woke up, wrapped up in the clean, crisp sheets of Louis' bed, only wearing one of Louis' tee shirts. He wasn't kidding when he said we weren't finished last night. I rolled over to face Louis and realized that I had taken most of the blankets and he was only barely wrapped up in the end of the sheet. I made a small giggle but gave him some more of the sheets before I was cuddling up close to him. Accidentally waking him, he let out a yawn and sat up a little while I was still clung to him.

"Sorry to wake you. You just looked really comfy to cuddle," I said.

He hummed and closed his eyes. "I've got meetings today starting at noon," he said groggily.

"What time do you leave?" I asked. My fingers lightly ran across the soft bare skin of his abdomen.

He was silent for a moment before responding. "Ten."

I grabbed his hand and began to play with his fingers. His hands were a lot larger than mine. "I have baby hands," I said and pressed my hand against his to measure his against mine. His were larger and more masculine while mine were small and dainty.

"Nothing wrong with baby hands," he said, lacing his fingers between mine momentarily before pulling his hand away. "I love them."

"I guess so," I mumbled, looking at my tiny hands.

Louis sat up in the bed and rubbed his face with both his hands, probably trying to rub away the sleep. "I've got to get ready for work." He moved to get out of bed but I grabbed his arm and tugged him back. "Baby, I can't—"

"Lay here with me for just a few more minutes. Please?" I popped my bottom lip out in a pout and gave him begging eyes. He stared at me for a couple seconds before he sighed a 'baby' and got back in the bed. I made myself comfortable by snuggling impossibly close to him and allowed my head to rest on his shoulder and my hand draped over his toned abdomen. His arm wrapped around me and his hand rested on my shoulder. "You're really warm."

Louis' thumb rubbed softly against my shoulder.

"Can we go out tonight?" I asked, tilting my head up to look at the handsome man.

His head moved to look back down at me, his blue eyes searching mine for whatever. My hand absentmindedly came up to gently cup his cheek. His lips turned up into a soft smile. "You want to go out?" He asked.

I smiled and allowed my thumb to caress his cheek. "Yeah. I want to go out with you."

He hummed and placed his hand over mine on his cheek. He pulled my hand away and brought it up to his lips, pressing a feather-like kiss to the top of my hand. "Where would you like to go?" He asked after he released my hand.

"Maybe Brighton Beach," I suggested.

"The beach?"

"Yeah." I shrugged. "To like, walk and stuff. I think that would be a nice outing. I want to do more things with you."

His eyes were soft like the smile on his lips. "Okay. We'll go to Brighton, go to dinner, and then walk the beach."

"Okay, I'd like that," I said.

We went silent for a bit as his eyes scanned every inch of my face. I looked away from him and stared at the shut door. His eyes never left my face though, he just continued to stare. I could see him out of my peripheral vision.

"I've got to get prepared for work, babe," he said, his fingers combing through my hair. I felt like releasing a loud, annoyed groan because I really didn't want him to go. He felt so warm and comfy. But unfortunately, his job is a lot more important than staying in bed with me all day.

Louis unraveled his arm from around me and shifted out of the bed. A pout played on my lips as all I had was the warmth of the sheets where he was. "Louis," I whined.

Louis stretched his arms over his head, the muscles in his back and shoulders shifting and flexing with the movements. "I'm sorry, but I have to get ready," he said, turning to face me until he noticed the pout. He leaned forward, his hands sinking into the soft mattress, and pressed a sweet kiss against my lips. The kiss was short lived as he pulled away. I watched as he left off into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, the shower starting up not long after.

•••

"Alright, baby, I'm leaving," Louis said as he slipped on his suit jacket and pressed the button to call the elevator. I crossed my arms over my chest as I leaned against the wall. My bare feet were cold against the hard floor, as well as my legs due to the fact that I'm just wearing Louis' tee shirt.

Louis fixed the collar of his shirt while his eyes checked my body out from head to toe. "A little unfair to be standing there like that, don't you think?" He said.

I hummed like I was thinking about what he said. "I don't think so."

The elevator opened up, so I pushed away from the wall to approach Louis with a kiss. He gladly bent down to press his lips against mine. "What time will you be home?" I asked when we pulled away.

"Emm," he thought and checked the time on the watch on his left wrist. "Around four."

I smiled up at him. "See you around four, then."

"We'll leave at five, so be ready by then." He stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button that goes to the lobby.

I sighed once the elevator doors slid shut and I padded my way into Louis' bedroom where I showered, clothed myself, and brushed my teeth.

Once I had finished prepping myself for the day, I began to straighten the house up to make it look a whole lot more decent. There wasn't much to do other than cleaning up the bathrooms, washing linens, and sweeping the floors.

When I had finished, I grabbed my phone and took a seat on the couch. The second my phone turned on, it was filled with notifications from my social media's. I frowned, scrolling through the hundreds of notifications, wondering what they all were. I've never seen this amount of notifications on my phone before. 

"What the hell?" I mumbled to myself when I realized it was followers and comments. I went into my social media to see what the comments were. They were commenting on some of my photos, a lot of comments being quite rude.

I clicked on a selfie I had posted a few weeks ago and saw comments like 'she looks like a slut' and 'how could Louis date someone like this?' My heart was pounding hard against my chest and it only increased as I continued to read the nasty comments. But I noticed a few comments that confused me, such as one that said 'the girl in this picture doesn't even look like her, so I don't know why people are claiming it's her...?'

What the hell? What picture is she talking about?

I went back to my notifications and saw that I was tagged in photos. I clicked on one of the pictures and it took me to what appeared to be a fan account...for Louis? He has his own fandom? He's the CEO of a bank, not a superstar...

My eyes scanned the picture the fan had posted and saw that it was a dark, blurry photo of a couple making out at a bar. I haven't been to a bar in ages, so that can't possibly be me. But god, everyone is so sure it's me. Even drama pages are posting it and saying it's me. But what pisses me off is that almost every single article it states 'according to some reliable sources'. Who the fuck?

'Housekeeper Love Scandal? Louis Tomlinson supposedly sleeping with hired Private Housekeeper, Madison Quinn, and she's already cheating on the Billionaire!?'

"Excuse me!?" I shouted aloud. "Cheating!?"

More and more comments and tags continued to add up in my notifications. The comments only became worse, now pointing out all of my physical flaws and saying how much of a disgusting woman I am. This just comes to show that you shouldn't believe everything you see on social media. I would never cheat on any man I'm with. How could anyone make me look like such a horrible person? What was the motive?

I started to cry as the stress just continued to build and build on my chest. How do you handle something like this? Especially when it's far from the truth. "I-I would never do such a thing! Where are these people getting this idea from!?"

I desperately searched for some sort of idea of who could have done something like this but only found articles upon articles of the same picture and main idea, but some thought they should maybe give it a little twist...

'Claimed Virgin But These Pics Say Otherwise...'

"What!? Who the hell—!?"

I was shaking and crying, my eyes trying to scan the content on the screen but my hands were shaking so bad I could barely understand the shit I was reading. My brain kept telling me to call Louis but I forced the thought away since he's currently working. I can't disturb him. But how do I handle this!? This had to be my greatest fear...

I began to see articles such as 'Louis Claps Back At Cheating Girlfriend By Sleeping With Model, Abrielle Laurent.' I immediately felt the color drain completely out of my face and I could hear the pounding of my heart in my ears. My fingers absentmindedly went right to Louis' contact and called him. I don't know what's going on. What's going on? Why are people saying these things!?

After a few seconds, Louis finally picked up. "Hey, baby, I'm actually just about to attend a meeting—"

I choked on a sob, cutting him off. I didn't mean to, it just escaped my lips before I could stop it. All I wanted was to hear him tell me that everything was going to be okay. "L-Louis."

"Madison?"

I continued to bawl my eyes out over the phone. I honestly felt like I was going to be sick.

"Madison," Louis began so softly that it made me cry more because I just wanted him sitting beside me, "what's going on, baby?"

I put my forehead in my free hand while my elbow rested against my knee and my lips released another choked sob. "I-I don't know! I-I l-looked at my phone a-and saw so many notifications a-and they were people attacking me f-for a picture of a w-woman kissing some other man, and they're c-claiming that I'm ch-cheating and lying a-about being a virgin and th-that you slept w-with Abrielle, and—"

"Madison," he cut me off. "Relax, darling."

"I-I can't! People are still attacking me and I—"

"Turn your notifications off and don't respond to anyone. That is what the media does, they claim false accusations and cause chaos, and the best thing you can do is just ignore it, okay, baby?" He said.

"B-But the woman isn't me and people think it is, and I-I want to defend myself s-so people know it's n-not me," I explained, wiping beneath my eyes with my fingers. My eyes were swollen and I could feel the puffiness in them with my fingertips. Now my eyes are going to feel dry for the rest of the day.

"I know, sweetheart, but I want you to turn your phone off for now. I'll have it taken care of," he said, but I only continued to cry. "You know I'll take care of you, baby."

"P-People hate m-me!" I sobbed, a fresh wave of tears hitting me at full force again.

"Madison, turn your phone off and focus on getting ready for tonight. I'll be home at four and we'll leave at five to go to—"

"I don't want to go a-anymore. I'm s-scared that people will see and recognize m-me and say things," I cried and hiccuped.

"We're going out tonight. Don't let those people scare you, okay? Get ready and we'll have a wonderful night out, just the two of us. You understand?" I could hear a bit of frustration in his voice and it made my heart clench. He's supposed to be in a meeting but here he is listening to my problems, which are far less important than his job.

"O-Okay," I got out from my crying. Now not only was I crying from the media accusing me of such things, but also crying from frustrating Louis and being an embarrassment to myself.

"Relax, darling," he said softly. "I'm not hanging up until you stop crying and take a deep breath."

I tried to stop, hiccuping and sniffling. I was an absolute mess. Swollen and dry eyes, runny nose, puffy lips, and tear stains. I'm the ugliest crier. When I cry, I look disgusting. Fuck pretty criers. There's no way they're actually crying, right?

"I'll be home soon, and when I get home, I'll give you the biggest hug you could ever receive. It'll even be in the world record books for being the biggest hug," Louis said after a moment of allowing me to finally calm down.

I giggled and sniffled.

"What do you think?"

"Okay," I answered. "Can we maybe slip a kiss in their too?"

Louis hummed in thought. "I'm sure it's possible..."

I grinned at his response and immediately felt a whole lot better. I reached forward and grabbed a tissue from the tissue box sitting on the coffee table in order to wipe my nose.

"Alright, I've got a meeting to attend to. I'll see you when I get home," he said, interrupting my thoughts. My smile drooped because now I have to get off the phone with him. But his voice is so comforting.

"Okay," I mumbled with a little pout on my face that he couldn't see. "Bye, Lou."

"Bye, baby." And that was the last thing he said before he hung up. 

I sighed and watched the hundreds of notifications popping up on my lock screen, keeping my phone active. I made the decision and turned my phone completely off. But my thing is, what if someone needs to get ahold of me? They won't be able to because my phone is off...

•••

I was doing the finishing touches on my makeup when I heard the sound of the elevator and shoes against the hard floor before a, "Madison!" I left the room and walked out to the foyer where Louis had just entered as well. I was still pretty upset and he seemed to notice when the neutral look on his face turned soft.

"Come here, baby," he said with welcoming arms. I tucked myself close to his body and let my head rest on his shoulder. His arms held me tight, and honestly, I have never had anyone hug me like this before. It felt nice to feel a hug like this one. I could practically feel my heart growing stronger for Louis.

Louis' hands rubbed my back comfortingly as we just stood there wrapped in each other's arms for a few minutes. "You'll be alright. I've got you," he spoke gently. A weight felt like it was suddenly lifted from my chest. I felt safe and protected.

Louis made the move first to pull away but then he was initiating a kiss, just like I had asked for earlier. I gladly accepted the sweet kiss, but it felt a lot different than the other kisses we have shared before. It was more comforting and affectionate, if that makes sense.

Louis pulled away and rubbed his hands down my arms, his eyes looking into mine. "You okay?" His right hand slid all the way down my left arm until he was able to hold my hand.

I nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Yeah."

His eyes scanned my face for a few quiet seconds and his thumb rubbed the top of my hand before he spoke again. "I'm going to take a quick shower, dress, and then I'll be ready and we can leave."

"Sounds good," I said.

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "I'll be ready in fifteen," he said before he walked away. The warmth of his hand lingered in mine, although he was no longer holding it. Excitement sparked through my body and the corners of my lips suddenly turned up even bigger. I didn't want to go out into the public eye earlier, but now I'm excited because I get to spend the night out with Louis.

Fuck the media and whoever this 'reliable source' is.

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to comment! I absolutely love reading comments! Also be sure to leave Kudos! Thanks, bb’s! xx


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